Talking in Your Sleep
by BlueSuedeShoes
Summary: Intrepid reporter for the Daily Planet, Chloe Sullivan, has her heart stolen by the masked hero, Green Arrow, but can she be satisfied with not knowing his real identity?
1. Chapter 1

_When you close your eyes and you go to sleep,  
And it's down to the sound of a heartbeat,  
I can hear the things that you're dreamin' about  
When you open up your heart and the truth comes out._

_You tell me that you want me.  
You tell me that you need me.  
And I know that I'm right  
'Cause I hear it in the night._

Talking in Your Sleep  
The Romantics

-1-

"Hey Sullivan, what'll it be? The usual?"

"Make it a raspberry mojito, Bobby."

"Your cousin coming?"

"Yep."

"I'll fix her cosmo, too."

"You're a gem, Bobby."

"You only say that when you've had a bad time of it. Slow news day?"

"The slowest of my life. You wouldn't believe it. I don't think flies even buzzed today."

Bobby chuckled. Then he jerked his head over to the the table in the corner of the club. "See that? That's the only news you're gonna see for weeks."

Chloe whipped her head around curiously. Then she scoffed. "All I see is some playboy surrounded by a flock of cheap trash."

Bobby grinned as he poured her drink over its bed of crushed mint leaves, raspberries, lime wedges, and ice before handing it to her. "That's not just any playboy, Sullivan. That's _the_ playboy. One, Oliver Queen, Metropolis's newest resident. Just arrived a couple of weeks ago from Star City, and every time he so much as steps out of his apartment, the whole city stops to stare."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Come on, Bobby. What do you take me for? A gossip columnist?"

He raised his hands in defense. "Hey, would I say that? I value my life, remember," he teased, winking. "But I'm tellin' ya, headlines follow that man like dogs follow a meat truck."

Chloe laughed. "Nice visual."

He shrugged. Then he glanced in Queen's direction and Chloe saw a smirk form on his mouth. "Don't look now, Sullivan, but he's checking you out."

She felt a hot blush creep into her cheeks. "Shut up. He is not."

"Yeah, yeah he is...wait. Wait, he's definitely interested. He's trying to check with me on how full your drink is."

Chloe glared, her face burning. "Can it, _barista_. I'm not interested."

He chuckled. "Okay, okay. I'll give him the universal, 'she's got a big, scary boyfriend you don't wanna mess with' head shake."

Chloe stared at him as he sent a 'discreet' warning look over her shoulder, then slowly shook his head first to one side, then the other. She burst into a fit of giggles before taking a shaky sip of her drink to steady herself.

Bobby laughed with her as he set up a couple of martinis for one of the waitresses. He glanced up and rolled his eyes good naturedly. "Incoming."

Chloe looked over her shoulder with a grin. "Hey, Lo!"

"Hey, cuz!" Lois beamed, throwing an arm around Chloe's shoulder and reaching for the Cosmopolitan ready and waiting for her. She downed it in one gulp and set it on the bar. She glanced and Bobby. "And keep 'em coming."

Bobby shook his head. He shot Chloe a look. "Are you sure you're related to that?" he asked her, teasing Lois as he pulled out a clean glass for her.

Chloe laughed, leaning closer to Lois. "Aw, why? Can't you see the family resemblance?"

Bobby just snorted as he finished Lois's second drink, slid it over to her and turned to help a few more customers.

Lois sipped a little more slowly on her second drink, eying Chloe. "Well?" she asked. "Anything new?"

Chloe chuckled. "If by 'new' you mean 'newsworthy,' no, Lois. My day was just as slow as yours."

Lois deflated slightly. Then the small crowd in the corner caught her attention. "What's with that?"

Chloe shrugged, taking another sip of her drink. "Some golden child from Star City who just moved out here," she answered in a bored voice.

Lois almost choked on her drink. "_That's_ Oliver Queen? Wait, which one?" she asked, craning her neck slightly to better examine the faces of the handful of men in the sea of females.

"The blonde, I believe," Chloe said, not looking.

"The one who's checking you out? Yum." She waved flirtatiously in his direction.

Eyes wide, Chloe grabbed Lois's hand and pulled it back down. "Don't! He'll think we want him to come over!"

Lois rolled her eyes, finishing off her drink again. "That's the idea, generally speaking.

Chloe glared. "I know you think I'm desperate, but _that_ is not the kind of man I need in my life."

Lois smirked. "Not in your life. Maybe just in your bed for the night."

Chloe sighed. "There's no reasoning with you, is there?"

"None whatsoever," she said, cheerfully, flagging Bobby down to get them both refills.

Chloe turned to lean against the bar, glancing around the room with mild interest. She didn't look in Oliver Queen's direction, not wanting him to think she was encouraging him. Instead what caught her attention was the sight of half-a-dozen police cars barreling past the club, lights flashing.

Lois saw the spark light in Chloe's eyes and followed her gaze. She groaned. "Chlo, it's Friday night."

"Yep," Chloe said, fishing out her money to pay for her drink.

"You promised me cousin time."

"And you got it," Chloe said.

Lois scoffed. "Five minutes of it."

Chloe gave her cousin a meaningful look. "Hey, you know the drill. You want cousin time? You can claim a byline now," she tempted. She and Lois had a rule: if they wanted to share a story, they had to lay claim on it first thing. Otherwise it was strictly hands off. Chloe snapped her purse shut. "You coming?"

Lois considered it seriously, but in the end, the allure of another drink was stronger. "Nah, you can have this one. Run along. Go have your fun," she dismissed grudgingly.

"Thanks, Lo!" Chloe hugged her quickly. "I promise movies and ice cream tomorrow. No interruptions."

"I'm picking the movie!" Lois called after Chloe as she bolted toward the door.

Chloe was already outside by the time Bobby managed to make his way over to a disgruntled Lois. He looked around for her and tried not to smile. "She do it again?"

Lois grimaced. "Yep."

He shook his head in amusement. "That's our Chloe."

"Uh huh."

Bobby raised an eyebrow. "Looks like Queen noticed she left, too."

Lois looked up in surprise to see Oliver Queen shaking off his company, eyes darting to the doors Chloe had just passed through.

"Think he'll catch up with her?" he asked speculatively.

"Nah. Think she'd give him the time of day even if he did?"

They exchanged identical looks. "Nah," they said together.

* * *

Outside in the warm August air, Chloe quickly rushed to the curb and flagged a taxi. As soon as one pulled up for her, she hopped in, telling the cabby, "I'll pay you double to follow the pack of police cars that just fled by here and keep them in your sights. They were traveling east."

The driver nodded and eagerly sped after the sound of the sirens. "However you get your kicks, lady," he said by way of response.

The chase, which lasted several blocks, led to a bank, where apparently a muddled heist had led to a hostage situation, which had been going on for the last half-hour.

Chloe immediately set to work after paying the driver his promised double-fare. Within twenty minutes she'd gathered that the heist had begun just as the bank was about to close, meaning that most of the hostages were employees, and the police suspected there were about seven or eight of them, with three confirmed robbers. Apparently someone had managed to trip the alarm, successfully bringing the getaway to a standstill. At least one person had been injured trying to play hero, but no one knew how badly.

She'd accumulated most of this from listening to the police commissioner talk with one of his staff. They had all of the exits secured, but so far there was no way to proceed without endangering the hostages. Chloe held back, floating around the outskirts to learn as much as she could. She wouldn't start asking for interviews until the situation was properly in hand.

And then: something miraculous. Miraculous for the hostages, but also for Chloe, who was about to get the greatest story of her career so far.

At first, when the hostages came running from the building, there was general excitement claiming it must have been Superman. Then, slowly, a murmur spread through the crowd that this had been something else...some_one_ else.

She spent the rest of her night tracking down names of the hostages, interviewing her usual informants on the police force, and, most importantly, getting into the bank to take a photo on her digital camera.

What she found in the bank blew her mind: three criminals lying unconscious on the ground with three green darts sticking out of them in varying places. And, although the police hadn't noticed it, yet, there was a green arrow stuck in the large, crystal chandelier.

This discovery, among all the rest, led to an all-nighter at the Planet. She hunted down phone numbers of the hostages to get statements from them about their mysterious rescue. As much as she pressed, her friend in the police department insisted that they'd never had anything like it, and they knew nothing about the alleged hero.

Even at 4:00 in the morning when she was finally polishing off her final draft, she could feel her body humming with excitement. This was news. Big news.

By the time she left the article and accompanying photos in the Editor's tray, though, she could feel the adrenaline start to fail her. She was crashing. Hard.

She glanced at her watch. It was a ten minute cab ride to her apartment in Metropolis. She had just enough time to grab a couple hours of sleep and maybe even something resembling breakfast before she had to come back in.

Her whole body was beginning to feel sluggish as she fished her cell phone out of her purse and called a cab. Normally, she wouldn't waste the money just to get home, but she was exhausted. The idea of her usual walk home was more than daunting, she decided as she drained the final cold dregs of her last cup of coffee, cringing slightly as she swallowed before tossing the cardboard cup in the trash.

When the taxi finally arrived, she sighed gratefully. She nearly fell asleep on the short ride home, but her weariness was worth it. A few more stories like this and she'd be moving into a window office.

The thought brought a small smile to her lips as she headed into her building's lift and hit the button for the top floor.

Tomorrow was going to be a good day.

It was her only coherent thought as she turned the key on the three different locks on her door and shoved it open. Turning to close it, she relocked all of them and added the chain lock as well.

She liked her apartment, and she liked having a place relatively close to her workplace, but it was still Metropolis, and a woman living alone couldn't be too careful.

She set her keys on the counter and headed straight for the coffee maker, setting the timer on it so it would start brewing before she got up in a couple of hours. Then she headed into her room and pulled her shoes off, dropping her purse on a chair in the corner. She moved into the bathroom and washed the makeup off of her face and quickly brushed her teeth, too tired even for a shower, as badly as she wanted one. Back in the bedroom, she pulled shut the curtains, throwing the room into pitch darkness until she flicked on her bedside lamp. She peeled off her clothes and pulled on her tank top and flannel pajama pants before throwing back the heavy ivory comforter and soft white sheets on her bed and climbing in, her deep sigh of relief almost echoing in the room before she reached over for the lamp, once again plunging the room into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

_Just remember this, my girl, when you look up in the sky,  
You can see the stars and still not see the light._

Already Gone  
The Eagles

-2-

"I can't believe I didn't go with you," Lois moaned for the umpteenth time, successfully bringing any productivity on her part to a halt as she brought her forehead down on her keyboard.

Chloe just smiled wanly, swiveling her chair slightly from side to side and basking in the glory. "Nice one, Sullivan," Tom from the copy room mentioned as he passed her by, bumping her shoulder gently. She knew she had to enjoy it while she could. Perry had practically kissed her he was so pleased, but he'd immediately followed up by asking _her_ for a follow up.

"I want to know everything about him. Where'd he come from? What's he doing here? He played the good guy this time, but is that what he's really about? I want to know everything there is to know about this guy, from his political views to his preferred brand of toothpaste," he'd said.

Put simply, Chloe had her work cut out for her. Not to mention Perry wanted a photo, and considering he'd sent Jimmy on assignment in Michigan, she didn't know how she was going to get one. Jimmy had always been her and Lois's go-to photographer.

"I think we should go out tonight and celebrate," Lois drew her attention back to the here-and-now. "Forget movie night. We should go out."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, "I was actually just about to beg off, Lo. I know I promised, but I've got so much on my plate, and I'm completely exhausted."

"_Chloe!_ Come on, no way. You owe me for last night."

"I know; I know. But listen, I promise you won't even miss me tonight. You have plans."

Lois looked confused. "I do?"

Chloe nodded, smirking.

Lois sat up straight. "You know something I don't. How do you do that? What's going on?"

Chloe just spun her pencil in her fingers, continuing to rock her chair gently from left to right and back again. "What time is it?"

Lois glanced at her computer, bringing the screen saver off to check. "It's almost 1:00. Now tell me what you know, you devious little minx."

"Remember Bruce Wayne?" Chloe asked, as if it were remotely possible that Lois had forgotten the tall, dark, handsome billionaire who had swept her off her feet his last visit to Metropolis.

Lois's eyes widened. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"He's here."

"What?" her voice cracked, and at that particular moment, the man himself made his way into the bullpen, spotting Chloe and Lois and walking over to them, a confident grin on his face.

"Ladies," he greeted, his eyes on Lois.

"Hi, Bruce," Chloe said mildly, eyes also on Lois, whose entire face was turning red as she stammered something resembling a greeting.

"Hey, guys, have either of you seen - oh. Hi, Bruce," Clark greeted, less-than-thrilled to see the other man blocking his chair when he looked up from the files he was sorting through. He pushed his glasses up his nose.

Bruce straightened up. "Clark," he said, amusement in his tone as he offered his hand and Clark shook it grudgingly. "Good to see you. How's life treating you?"

"Fine," he said, his tone dry as he looked at the other man with something distinctly less than affection. "What are you doing here?"

"Business. Various things. Nothing for you to worry about," he added in a meaningful tone. "And I'm taking Miss Lane out for lunch," he added, grin returning.

Lois, who had recovered her wits, piped up at that. "Oh, are you?" she challenged.

"Well, that was the general idea. Chloe promised me that you were free," he added, sending an appreciative glance to Chloe, who just smiled angelically.

"You what?" Clark deadpanned as Lois simultaneously asked the same question.

Chloe's grin, if possible, broadened, still rocking her chair from side to side as she enjoyed herself immensely. "Bruce called me this morning to check if you were..._free_," Chloe said simply, her tone implying the double meaning in the statement.

Lois and Clark's mouths both fell open. Lois's face was turning hopelessly red.

When she didn't move at all, Chloe prompted her along, "She's just about ready to get going, Bruce. Why don't you let her grab her jacket and throw her purse together?"

Bruce grinned as well as Lois sprang into action. "Right. I'll just...get my things together. But just so you know, Wayne, this doesn't mean anything. You didn't call. I could've just as easily had plans."

Bruce just shoved his hands in his pockets easily, nothing daunted. "But that would've taken the fun out of the surprise."

"And just so you know, I've been dating other men since you left," Lois said as she slung her purse over her shoulder and brushed past him for the door. "Lots of them."

"Mmhmm," Bruce said, amused, following after her. "Bye, Chloe. Clark," he added genially over his shoulder.

When they disappeared through the glass doors, Clark slumped defeatedly into his seat. "What's he got that I don't?"

Chloe cocked a brow at him. "You really want me to answer that?"

"Yes," he said grumpily.

"Gadgets," she said simply, stifling a smile and knowing he didn't really want to know.

Clark sighed heavily, and Chloe felt a little more pity for him.

"Aw, cheer up, Clark," Chloe reached over and patted his hand sympathetically. "Lois will see the light eventually."

He glowered. "With no help from you, I see. Traitor," he accused jokingly.

Chloe just shrugged. "Hey, he called and asked if she was seeing anyone and I said no. Then he asked if she was free for lunch and again I said no. What did you want me to do, _lie_?" she teased. "I'm shocked, Mr. Truth, Justice, and the American Way."

Clark sighed. "You're mean."

She tilted her head from side to side as if mulling it over. "Mm...well...yeah, pretty much."

Clark snorted before shifting forward and pulling the stack of files he'd brought over in front of him. "Some best friend," he remarked half-seriously.

"Well, Clark, you know I'm rooting for you. I think you and Lois would make a great team, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you're destined for each other or something. Even if you are, it doesn't mean she can't date a few of the wrong guys in the meantime. She'll just appreciate Mr. Right all that much more when she finds him. If you're lucky, maybe you'll be him."

Clark rolled his eyes, but she could see the small smile playing on his mouth, betraying his mollification. Then he straightened up suddenly, his head turning as something caught his attention.

Chloe sighed affectionately. "Remember to button your shirt up all the way when you get back this time," she reminded him as he started heading for the door.

It was at 3:00 in the afternoon when Chloe got her big tip. The mail guy came in and there was a blank letter with nothing but her name on it. Inside were several photos of shippers down by the riverfront moving things in the middle of the night. Chloe didn't know too much about shipping, but she knew that the dock workers mostly did their jobs in broad daylight, and it didn't usually require black ski masks for the uniform.

_Thank goodness Bruce is keeping Lois busy. She'd have my neck for canceling movie night on her, _she thought gratefully as she flipped through the photos. They were all time stamped for Saturdays, which meant that _her_ Saturday night just got a lot more interesting. _There goes the good night's sleep I was planning_, she added to herself a little wistfully. _Ah well, news never sleeps._

Buzzed on espresso and carrying a small digital camera in the inside pocket of her trench coat, Chloe made her way down to the docks at a quarter to midnight. She never carried her camera in her purse, in case someone stole it or searched it to take any evidence she had. It had been a rookie mistake once upon a time, but one she only made once. The camera, more specifically the memory card, stayed out of sight.

She planted herself safely within the shadows of a narrow alley and waited. For a while she thought the only thing she was going to have when she got home that night was the rank smell of fish on her clothes, but ten minutes past midnight her patience was rewarded when three trucks pulled in, about ten men bailing out, all wearing black ski masks.

They boarded one of the ships and spent an hour loading crates from the trucks onto it. Chloe did her best to make out what was on the side of the crates, but the light was too dim to see anything, and she was afraid to move from her spot for fear of giving herself away.

She took out her camera and made sure all the sounds were off before zooming it in as best she could on one of the larger crates that four men were moving onto the boat. They were far away and in the dim lighting the camera couldn't seem to focus on them but she snapped a couple of shots anyway, blurry as they were. She studied the shots carefully from her crevice in the wall, and her heart thudded as she realized the blob on the photo bore a striking resemblance to the LuthorCorp insignia. She glanced up again, eyes wide as they continued their process.

She had to find out what was in those crates.

She waited, knowing she couldn't risk anything until the perfect moment. She had a sneaking suspicion in the pit of her stomach that these men would not take kindly to her "observing" them.

Finally, her moment came, but it was a little less opportune than she would have liked. About six of the men left in the truck, all the parcels having been unloaded, and four of the men boarded the boat, apparently getting it ready to make way.

Summoning up whatever gumption she had, Chloe stole across the dock and onto the boat, nearly getting caught sneaking into the hold, but just nipping inside in time. She whipped around the corner of the doorway, pressing herself flat against the wall and holding her breath, afraid that the goon might have seen her. As she heard the creaking of the boards fade slightly, she breathed silent sigh of relief.

Quickly she made her way into the holds, between rows and rows of such boxes as she had seen them loading for the past hour. It was difficult to see much of anything in the room, with only one dim lamp for light, and she could feel the hairs prickling on the back of her neck, cold sweat beading on her skin, unable to shake the feeling that there was someone else watching her. Her heart pounded in her chest as she found one of the crates with a clearly in-tact LuthorCorp insignia on it. Hands shaking she pulled out her camera and quickly turned the flash on so she could get a photo of it, praying that no one would notice the light it emitted. She was just trying to force her way into one of the crates to see what was inside it, when she heard the door creak open, and her blood ran cold, as she remained totally frozen, caught for certain.

All of a sudden she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, and a gloved hand covering her mouth to muffle the scream she nearly let loose in surprise, dread filling her body as the man wrenched her aside, dragging her into a narrow space between two rows of crates, as close to the wall as they could get.

Eyes wide in panic, entire body trembling, she heard the first man enter the room, followed by a second. A voice in her ear, deep and metallic, warned her, "Don't move." Shivers tingled down her spine as she nodded her understanding and his grip loosened ever so slightly on her hip, her body still crushed against his, with barely any breathing space in the narrow crevice. He let his other hand fall from her mouth, resting it unconsciously at the base of her throat. She swallowed tightly, registering that whoever was behind her was distinctly larger and stronger than her, but she didn't have much time to worry about that as the two men muttered something about it all being in place, briefly walking past them down the center aisle before pausing for an unbearably long time, each of Chloe's heartbeats like bass drums in her ears. They seemed satisfied that everything was accounted for after a point, before they headed back above, and slammed the door the room now pitch black save for that one lamp on the far wall.

Chloe's body slumped as temporary relief swept over her, and the man's hands released her, shoving her back into the open space.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" he demanded, and Chloe realized that he was wearing some sort of voice distorter. She looked up at him, still trying to get her heartbeat under control. She couldn't make out much of him in the dark, but his silhouette implied he was wearing a hood, and she was certain he'd been wearing leather. She'd been able to smell it as he held her against him.

She glared. "Yes. Haven't you?" she snapped sarcastically. "I strongly recommend it. Does wonders for the stress."

She couldn't see anything of his face, but she had a feeling his expression was unamused. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she challenged the stranger before turning away from him and getting back to work.

"What are you doing?" he asked, following her.

She ignored him, focusing her attention on getting one of the crates open, though it seemed to be a futile effort until he wrapped two hands around her biceps and none-too-gently moved her aside. She was about to protest when he shoved a lever in the lid of the crate and pried it open. Then he stood back so she could see the contents.

Chloe's eyes widened dramatically as she saw what they contained. She pulled out her camera and started snapping photographs.

"Weapons developed by LuthorCorp," his voice supplied behind her. She whipped around facing him, waiting for more, carefully pulling the memory card out of her camera and slipping it into the pocket of her coat. But the boat lurched, throwing her off balance and successfully ending their conversation. His hand shot out and caught her, tension rolling off of him. "We need to get off this boat."

"We need to _stop_ this boat!" she corrected, indignant.

"Not with you here," he said irritably, dragging her towards the door. He pulled it open partway and peered cautiously out to see if the coast was clear. "On my count, we're running out there," he commanded, leaving no room for argument.

Not that that stopped Chloe. "Just one minute. I'm not going anywhere until - "

"Listen," he growled fiercely, turning to face her. "I don't know what you think you're doing playing Sherlock Holmes out here, but this ship is headed for the Gulf of Mexico, so unless you'd like a taco for your last meal, you're going to do as I say, got it?"

She swallowed her shock, nodding.

He relaxed slightly. "Good. Don't let go of me." With that, he threw the door open, and, hand grasped tightly around hers, he raced her toward the edge of the boat.

"Hey! Where the hell'd they come from?" a shocked voice shouted from the upper decks.

"Damn it! Don't let them get off the boat!" another called out, but Chloe didn't have time to register their words as she raced to the edge of the boat, panic filling her as she realized the boat was a good ten yards from shore. He was rushing them right for the edge and there wasn't much left to do but swim for it. Or so she thought.

Just as she was bracing herself to plunge into the filthy current, his arm wrapped around her, grasping her to his side as he raised a crossbow and fired a line toward shore, shots firing in the background as he propelled them towards the dock, Chloe clutching him for dear life.

Tucking her into his body, he rolled them out of the landing, not giving her a moment's breath before dragging her to her feet and running them out of firing range and around a corner to safety at last.

Slumping against a wall, Chloe tried to catch her breath, clutching her pounding heart in her chest. "What - " she breathed, "is going - " another pant " - on?" Gasp. Gaining control of herself slightly, she looked up and realized that standing in front of her, clad in green leather, was the very man she had written her article on the night before.

"What's your interest in that boat?" he asked instead of answering her.

"I'm a journalist," she said defiantly, straightening up slightly, then checking her pocket suddenly. As if by divine providence, the memory card was still there, although she seemed to have dropped her camera at some point, probably in the river when they'd crossed. She cursed internally. There went a good hundred bucks into the river. Literally.

The man she'd dubbed the Green Arrow only the day before seemed to be sizing her up. "The weapons were headed for the Gulf - "

"Yes you mentioned that," she said sourly, crossing her arms, noticing in spite of herself just how very muscular he was, her mind flashing back to the feeling of being pressed against him in the hull. Definitely muscular.

He smirked, apparently at ease now that they were both safe. "Yes, patience, if you don't mind. It was headed to the Gulf where it will join several other shipments that have been heading out for the last month. From there it will head for the Middle East."

Chloe's mouth fell open. She blinked in disbelief. "Luthor is dealing weapons under the table?" she asked in disgust.

He nodded. "I've been doing my best to stop their shipments, and I've managed to do it a couple of times, but you've got the big picture here," he said seriously. "You can put a stop to this." He stepped forward and Chloe caught her breath suddenly, but he moved past her into another alley to her right. She turned to see what he was doing and realized he had parked a motorcycle in the shadows. "Where to?" he asked, grabbing his helmet. He felt a momentary stab to his sense of chivalry as he put it on, but he couldn't risk the wind knocking back his hood.

Swallowing, she held her head a little higher as she answered. "The Daily Planet."

He nodded, swinging his leg over the bike and bringing it to life, the engine's low rumble filling the night air. "Well?" he called to her and she started, realizing she'd just been staring at him. She joined him, swinging her leg over as well and placing her hands tentatively on his shoulders.

He smirked, though she couldn't see it as he revved the engine slightly. "You're going to want to hold on a little tighter than that," he warned in amusement before taking off quite suddenly.

Surprised and nearly falling off the back, Chloe wrapped her arms around his stomach tightly enough to suffocate him, clamping her thighs to his on instinct.

His smirk grew more pronounced as he felt her thighs grip to him, her hands clutching him. After the initial stress of having to rescue her from herself, he'd had more than ample time to notice how attractive she was. There were few perks to what he did, but coming to the aid of the occasional damsel in distress was definitely one of them, and it certainly didn't hurt when it was a tiny, sexy, spitfire of a blonde.

He screeched to a halt in front of the Daily Planet, purposefully not slowing down until the very last second, allowing them to skid a little. Showing off? Maybe. But he couldn't help it if he was amused when she gripped him that much more tightly, gasping in his ear before hiding her face in his neck. She sighed audibly when he righted them and put the engine in neutral.

Shakily, she climbed off the bike, something in her body vaguely protesting the loss of contact with him. She shoved back the feeling derisively. And she had the suspicious feeling that if he hadn't been wearing that helmet, she might have tried to kiss him in thanks.

She backed up a step, not trusting herself. "Thanks," she said lamely, but then collected herself and repeated the sentiment more seriously. "Really. Thank you." He had more or less saved her life, after all.

He nodded, lifting the helmet momentarily to speak to her. "Don't make a habit of it," he warned. "Now get to work," he added with a smirk. "You have a story to write, I think."

She grinned, nodding. "I do," she agreed, backing up a few steps before turning and heading into the building, noticing briefly that she didn't hear the sound of his bike tearing away until after she'd passed through the doors.


	3. Chapter 3

'_I'll pick up your hand and slowly, blow your little mind  
'Cause I made my mind up you're going to be mine.  
I'll tell you right now:  
Any trick in the book now, baby, that I can find.  
Superman or Green Lantern ain't got a-nothin' on me._

Sunshine Superman  
Donovan

-3-

"Sullivan, I love you. Have I mentioned that lately, kid?"

Chloe grinned tiredly, slumped in the chair in front of Perry White's desk.

"Seriously, kid, this is two days in a row. Keep it up. Now get out of my sight before I get any more sentimental and ruin my reputation," he dismissed.

Chloe nodded, too tired to respond with anything but a demure smile, pushing herself out of the chair with effort and heading for the door where Lois was waiting to congratulate her.

She wrapped her in a crushing hug. "Chloe! That was amazing! How on earth did you ever find out about it?" she asked, releasing her and handing her a prized maple donut - the ultimate reward coming from Lois.

Chloe lifted a shoulder. "Anonymous tip. I just got lucky it ended up in my in-tray."

Lois shook her head. "Unbelievable. That's just...wow. Two front page articles in a row. You're on a roll, cuz," she congratulated unselfishly. "This calls for a celebration. This calls for a night on the town. This calls for - "

Chloe groaned weakly. "Lois," she whined.

"Oh don't give me that! C'mon. I'll get Bruce to set you up with someone and we'll all go out. It'll be great!"

Chloe just shook her head wearily, moving past Lois for the beckoning comfort of her desk chair. "Coffeeeee..." she moaned under her breath, trying to remember when she'd last had a cup. It must have been almost an entire hour ago. Much too long.

"Hey, Matt," Lois said, stopping the guy passing by them.

"It's Kyle, but what?" he corrected, annoyed.

"Get my cousin some coffee. Make it strong."

"But - "

"Now!" Lois said.

"Yeah, sure whatever. You're just lucky I'm headed that way in any case," he muttered, turning and heading for the copy room where they kept the coffee maker.

"Come on, Chloe," Lois said when he was gone, catching up to Chloe, who was now halfway to her lovely, beautiful chair. "You, me, Bruce, and some handsome stud who'll tell you how beautiful you are as often as you want to hear it. It'll be great. We'll hit the clubs."

Chloe laughed lightly as she collapsed into her beloved chair, her only friend. "Lois, I can't. I just can't. I literally haven't slept. I literally haven't been out of this building, since yesterday night. I am _not_ going clubbing. I'm going home at 5:00, showering, and crawling into bed, where I intend to sleep until either the end of the world, or my alarm goes off on Monday morning, whichever comes first."

Lois sighed defeatedly. "Fine. But we're going out next week, mark my words."

"Consider them marked," Chloe laughed, rolling her eyes. "So how was your date with Bruce yesterday?" she asked as she allowed them to slide closed.

"Miss Sullivan?" Kyle's voice asked beside her, and her eyes flew open again at the smell of coffee being waved in front of her nose.

She grasped the cup desperately, breathing in its sent. She looked up at her coworker with tears practically blossoming in her eyes. "Thank you, Kyle," she said, a note of hysteria in her voice.

He grinned, shrugging. "Hey, no problem. Nice work, by the way. It's about time somebody got Luthor for something. I used some of that hazelnut creamer, by the way," he added.

"Marry me?" she asked, laughing.

He chuckled. "Talk to my wife, first," he joked before turning to leave.

"I like him," Chloe said to Lois. "Really. I think he's my new best friend."

Lois snorted. "You're so dramatic."

Chloe ignored her, taking a long sip of the hot liquid she craved so dearly. "Oh...oh god...there _is_ a God," she breathed. "Now," she gestured to Lois, "tell me about your date."

Lois babbled on and on about seeing Bruce again, where he had taken her, what they had done and planned to do while he was here. She went into far more of the explicit details than Chloe needed, but she was too intent on drinking her coffee to protest. It wasn't until she drained the last drop from the cup and Lois finally had to move on to her work that Chloe leaned forward in her chair, making a feeble attempt to be proactive and opening her e-mail account.

She skimmed over the names to see if anything jumped out at her, and only one thing did:

**From: emeraldarch... Subject: (none)**

She frowned, clicking on it, her curiosity piquing slightly. She had to read it twice before she fully believed it.

_Sidekick:_

_Enjoyed my paper this morning. Nice work._

_-your Friend from the other night_

Her heart fluttered mildly as she let it sink in. She checked out the e-mail address, hoping to trace it, but he was obviously much more intelligent than that. It was a web e-mail account and untraceable. She'd never be able to use it to pin him, even if she tried.

A more important question: Should she respond? And if so, what should she say? Would he even get it? _Probably not_, she decided. _He probably just opened the account so he could send an e-mail without being traced. I doubt he makes a habit of this kind of thing._

With which thought she promptly opened a reply e-mail and typed without knowing what was possessing her to do it.

_Archer,_

_Thanks. Couldn't have done it without your help. I owe you one._

She paused, not sure how to sign it. She smiled lightly as she reread his nickname for her. 'Sidekick,' indeed. Of all the absurd notions. Then again... She glanced up at Clark, who was 'accidentally tripping over the corner of someone else's desk. She shook her head, chuckling. Maybe the description wasn't that far off at the end of the day.

_Be seeing you._

"_Sidekick"_

She hit send and immediately regretted it. "Be seeing you?" she muttered under her breath. "What was _that_?" she asked herself, groaning and dropping her head onto the keyboard. _Great._

It was official: she needed to go home. No matter what time it was. If Perry had a problem with it, she'd just hold up her last two articles in front of his face. She rose from her chair and picked up the entire contents of her in-tray and shoved it all into her bag.

"What are you doing?" Lois asked, looking up from her work.

"Going home," Chloe sighed. "I can't keep my eyes open. I'll take my work with me and deal with it later this evening. If Perry asks - "

"I got your back. No worries," Lois nodded. "But I doubt he'll be worried about you. He'll probably just be wondering if you're bringing him another front pager." She grinned.

Chloe laughed tiredly. "You know what, Lo? How about you handle tomorrow's front page for me?" she joked.

Lois smirked. "Working on it."

"Yeah?" Chloe asked, curious.

"Uh huh," Lois grinned, hitting send on an e-mail. "As a matter of fact I'm heading out to City Hall right now. I'll walk you home part of the way."

"Great," Chloe said, smiling. "So what's happening at City Hall?" she asked.

"That depends," Lois teased, "You asking for a by-line?"

Chloe snorted. "I think I'll pass."

"Then you'll find out with everybody else," she said simply, throwing her notepad in her purse. "Let's go."

On the way home, Lois discussed the fact that Bruce was in town for the next week and a half, for several business reasons, but also out of interest in supporting Senator Kent's election campaign. Chloe nodded in the appropriate places, listening, but not contributing much to Lois's energetic conversation otherwise.

When they split ways, Chloe was only a block away from her apartment complex, and it was with heavy limbs that she dragged herself to her floor and into her home.

"Ugh!" she grunted, collapsing on her couch and dropping her bag to the floor. "Never again." Then she laughed at herself, knowing better. "Well, at least not for another day or two."

Her mind flitted briefly to the thought of her e-mail from the Green Arrow, and she felt a low warmth in her stomach, groaning and burying her face in the couch cushions as if to hide the sudden smile that crossed her face, though there was no one to hide it from. Was it wrong to be so delighted with an e-mail? Probably. At the very least it was silly. And she couldn't help feeling ridiculous to pull out her Blackberry to re-read it, not that that stopped her. There were very few times in her life that she received any kind of reward for her hard work, and these past couple of days had been rare indeed for her. Somehow that e-mail seemed to embody all the good feelings of the past 48 hours, all the excitement, adrenaline, triumph, satisfaction.

She snuggled into the couch and snatched the blanket off the bed, tucking it around her and sighing deeply, sleep quickly claiming her, but not without the sudden memory of what it had felt like when he crushed her protectively to his body, his hard muscles wrapping around her, the smell of sweat and leather filling her senses.

It left her wondering in the very furthest corner of her mind, when she would meet him again.

* * *

The question would not be answered for another week. Long after the initial excitement of her two big headlines had worn in a bit, Chloe had new things to worry her mind, though, other than the Green Arrow. She knew at some point she had to deal with a follow-up story on him like Perry wanted, but she had a feeling that that story would present itself when the time was ready.

And she was right.

Friday night, however, she was not concerned with vigilante archers or diabolical Luthors (to everyone's immense disgust, Lex had managed to get off scotch-free, there being no solid evidence proving him to have any knowledge of the illegal trading). Instead, Chloe was concerned with the right sort of undergarments.

"Your panty-line is showing," Lois said idly, lying on her stomach on Chloe's bed and watching.

Chloe's head whipped around and glanced at her backside in the mirror. She groaned.

"The bra, too."

"I need to go underwear shopping," Chloe sighed, reaching into her drawer and pulling out a bra and panty set of the more lacy variety. "If Mrs. K would stop having black tie affairs, this wouldn't be a problem. What time are the boys coming for us again?" she asked.

"In...about twenty minutes," Lois said, craning her neck around to look at the clock.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be getting dressed?" she pointed out.

Lois smirked. "Nah. My hair and makeup's done. I'm going to change clothes after they get here."

Chloe laughed. "May I ask why?"

"Always keep them guessing, Chlo," Lois replied perfectly seriously. "In this particular case, by keeping them waiting a few minutes."

"So how are things with you and Bruce?" Chloe asked.

Lois sighed. "The same. Great banter. Great dates. Great sex."

"You poor thing?" Chloe teased, confused as to why Lois sounded so bored.

"I don't know...I like Bruce. A lot. But I get the feeling there's not much more to him than meets the eye, you know? Where's the adventure? Where's the mystery?"

Chloe didn't trust herself to meet Lois's eyes, instead busying herself with switching bras as she answered, "Oh, I don't know. I think Bruce has a certain mysterious element." She suppressed a smile as she thought of his BatCave. "You haven't really had time to get to know him that well."

"I guess. Well, anyway. At least the sex is great."

Chloe snorted. "Thanks, Lo."

Lois narrowed her eyes, watching as Chloe spritzed a little perfume on her wrists and rubbed it into her neck. "Speaking of sex - "

"Don't start, Lo."

"I'm just saying, it's been a while."

"Thanks, Lo. I don't need to be reminded."

"Right well what exactly are you doing about it? I mean, you could have a smoking hot date on your arm tonight and instead you're going with Smallville."

"There is nothing wrong with Clark Kent," Chloe defended loyally.

Lois's tone became concerned "You're not still - "

"No."

"Are you sure? Because - "

"No, Lois, I'm not still carrying a torch for Clark. That's so ancient the dinosaurs don't remember it. I'm just going because his mother wants him there and he didn't want to go alone." And because he wanted to ask Lois, but Bruce had beat him to the punch.

"Fine. But you know, I could get Bruce to set you up with - "

"NO!" Chloe turned to look at her cousin sternly. "No set-ups, Lois. I beg you."

"But - "

"No."

"But - "

"No!"

"Fine," Lois crossed her arms petulantly. "But don't you _want_ someone?"

"Of course I do, Lois, but I also want a serious career and a Pullitzer and a lot of other things, and I have yet to meet someone who could compete with those ambitions. When I meet the right guy, then it'll just work out."

"Not if you brush him off before he gets the chance," Lois pointed out.

"Lois, if he's the right guy for me, he's not going to let a little brush-off stop him, is he?"

Lois bit her lip, not having a good comeback for that. "I guess, but I still think it couldn't hurt your chances to actually try dating someone. Or at the very least it couldn't hurt _you_ to get laid now and again."

"Lois!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Hey, I'm just vocalizing _your_ inner needs."

"Do me a favor and don't," Chloe said, laughing, the bell to her apartment ringing at the same time. "They're here," she noted. "Should I go tell them you're not ready?" she asked sarcastically, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yep," Lois said, springing off the bed and grabbing her black dress off the arm chair in the corner. "I'll be out in five," she called after Chloe, who was shutting the door to the bedroom.

She let in Clark and Bruce, both of whom looked very dashing in their tuxes, although Clark still managed to maintain that certain awkward air that was his alter-ego.

"Chloe," Bruce greeted. "You look stunning," he said, kissing her on the cheek and taking in her ivory halter dress. "Where's Lois?"

"She's running a few minutes behind," Chloe said, giving Clark a hug.

"As usual," Clark said, amused. "And Bruce is right, you look amazing, Chlo."

Chloe beamed. "Thank you. Can I get you boys a drink? I'm not sure how long Lois is going to be."

"Not that long," Lois announced her entrance to the room, causing both men's jaws to drop in response to her sultry black dress.

Chloe rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure what was worse: her cousin's antics regarding men, or the fact that they worked.


	4. Chapter 4

_Satellite, headlines read  
Someone's secrets you've seen  
Eyes and ears have been  
Satellite dish in my yard  
Tell me more, tell me more  
Who's the king of your satellite castle?_

Satellite  
The Dave Matthews Band

-4-

Chloe closed her eyes in mortification. Clark shifted uncomfortably, face turning red. Bruce's mouth opened in surprise.

Lois, not noticing, continued putting her foot in her mouth.

"Okay!" Bruce jumped in before she could do anymore damage, placing an arm around her waist and steering her away from the wealthy entrepreneur she apparently thought so poorly of. "I think I see someone over there."

"Charming," said Arthur Douglas dryly, a man Chloe could care less for as well, not that she was going to say anything about it.

"Isn't she?" Chloe grinned sparklingly, lifting her glass of white wine to her lips.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch either of your names before," the older man said, extending a hand to shake Clark's.

"This is Chloe Sullivan, and I'm Clark Kent, the Senator's son," Clark introduced with a distinct lack of warmth.

"Oh I see," the man said, interested now that he knew who Clark was. "And, Miss Sullivan is your...?" he left the blank for Clark to fill in.

"Friend. We work together at the Daily Planet."

The man's smile melted off his face. "You're both reporters as well?" he asked with little effort to hide his distaste.

Chloe nodded, smirking. "Mmhmm."

"Well," he said, shifting his weight to his other foot nervously. "Well...oh goodness, I see my wife has returned from the powder room. You'll excuse me, won't you?" he asked, not giving them a chance to reply as he left them to cross to the other side of the room where his wife was standing, proudly fingering a largely gaudy necklace around her neck

Clark glared after him and Chloe chuckled. "_This_ is what your mom is going to have to put up with to get re-elected?" she asked.

Clark sighed. "It's always the same. Scum."

"Well, I like to think we're not _all _that bad," said a voice behind them, startling them. Chloe and Clark turned to see Oliver Queen standing behind them with an amused expression on his face, glass of scotch in hand. "Oliver Queen," he introduced himself, reaching to shake Clark's hand as well, forcing himself not to stare blatantly at Chloe. He'd forgotten just how stunning she was. And she looked particularly attractive in the ivory silk she was wearing. The high halter-style neckline set off the delicate curve of her shoulders, and the low back exposed an expanse of creamy, mouth-watering skin that his fingers itched to touch. "Did I hear you say you were Senator Kent's son?" he asked, focusing on Clark instead, "It's a pleasure."

Chloe swallowed as she watched him, her mouth suddenly a bit dry. She'd recognized when Bobby pointed him out at the bar that Oliver Queen was attractive, but up close she realized he wasn't just attractive. He was drop-dead gorgeous. He was possibly one of the most attractive men she'd ever met, and coming from a woman who had arrived that evening in the company of Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, that was saying something.

Clark nodded, shaking Oliver's hand a little warily, not sure what to make of the man and a little embarrassed at being overheard.

Chloe raised an eyebrow at him. "Eavesdropping were you?" she asked, less than impressed.

He raised a shoulder casually. "Eavesdropping...overhearing...something like that. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name, though, Miss...?" he flashed her a charming grin.

Unmoved, Chloe answered flatly, "Chloe Sullivan."

"Sullivan? That sounds familiar," he said, then, pretending revelation: "Didn't you write the expose last week on LuthorCorp? Impressive work," he complimented sincerely.

Chloe's eyebrow rose still further. "You thought so, hmm? Yes, well, I imagine it didn't do anything to hurt Queen Industries, did it?" she asked, figuring he had only been interested in the piece from a strictly mercenary aspect.

Oliver's brow creased almost undetectably. Wow. She'd only been speaking to him for two minutes and she really seemed to dislike him. _Challenge accepted_, _Miss Sullivan,_ he thought to himself. "You really think that's the only reason I'd enjoy it, don't you? That's a bit narrow minded for a reporter, don't you think?"

Chloe shrugged. "I call 'em like I see 'em. Maybe you'll get lucky and prove me wrong."

Clark stood watching this exchange with his eyebrows raised, aware that the pair seemed to have forgotten his presence...and possibly his existence altogether.

"So in other words: guilty until proven innocent. That's not usually how it works in America. Interesting," Oliver continued, his expression challenging and full of amusement.

Chloe had opened her mouth to continue, but at that moment Bruce Wayne had chosen to introduce Martha for her brief address.

Oliver grinned at them both. "It was a pleasure to meet you two," he said and seemed quite sincere about it. He didn't give either of them a chance to respond before ducking away, and Clark and Chloe were forced to turn their attention to Bruce, who was waiting for the noise to die down.

Clark was giving Chloe a humorous look and her defenses bristled. "What?"

He smirked. "Has anyone ever told you you're a bit of a snob?"

She was about to defend herself when Clark got that distant, distracted look. Chloe sighed. "Go. I'll explain to your mom later." He nodded and headed for the door, where she was sure he disappeared for all intents and purposes.

Martha had just finished giving her address to the crowd when Chloe heard something whistle through the air and the lights went out. She blinked rapidly, trying to adjust her eyes to the sudden darkness as she heard a gasp in the crowd.

She managed to see a hooded figure pushing his way through the stunned crowd, pause in front of Mrs. Douglas and snatch the necklace off her neck, muttering something before taking off toward the door again. Everyone around him seemed to stunned to do anything.

Chloe recovered her wits more quickly and darted after him, sprinting around the corner and down the hall after him where there was an open window. As she ran she realized the back of that hood looked upsettingly familiar. Surely not...

"Stop!" she called after him, not exactly sure what she would do if she caught up to him.

She didn't get a chance to find out, though, when he reached the window in ample time, perching on the ledge and shooting his zip-line. He turned to glance at her with an unbearable smirk on his face and blew her a kiss before ascending the cable and making good his escape.

Chloe collided with the window ledge, trying to see if she could spot him, but he was already out of sight.

She cursed. Fantastic. _So much for 'hero,'_ she thought derisively, feeling horribly let down.

She bit her lip. She had to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there was more to it than that.

Maybe.

_But even if there is, it doesn't justify theft_, she thought bitterly. She turned to leave, knowing there was nothing else she could do for the moment but check to make sure that the guests were all right.

As she was turning, her foot accidentally kicked a small object that went skidding across the floor. She frowned, walking over to it and picking it up. It was a ring, and looking back by the window she saw a broken metal chain. Was it something he'd been wearing? She fingered the ring carefully, its smooth metal cool in her hand. She glanced at the chain and back at the ring and bit her lip.

_To tamper with crime scene evidence or not to tamper with crime scene evidence. That is the...oh who am I kidding? _She picked up the broken chain and the ring and carefully tucked them inside her bra for the time being.

* * *

Watching her from across the street, Oliver sighed. There went his only fan, he figured. Not that she'd necessarily been waving pom poms around before or anything. But he'd liked her. He'd seen her spying on the boat the other week, and he'd been able to tell she was resourceful, intelligent, and quick on her feet. He had had the distinct suspicion that even if he hadn't been around to save her, she would have found a way to get herself out of trouble. Maybe not quite as _neatly_ as with his help, but still.

Now it looked as if she seriously disliked Oliver Queen for no good reason, and she probably just lost most of her faith in the Green Arrow, if she'd had that much to begin with. He glanced down at his spoils, clutching the necklace in his hand.

_Worth it. I don't do this for me._

At least, that was what he told himself. But he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he didn't necessarily agree with himself.

He watched Chloe turn to leave, clearly frustrated and confused, and then she paused, something catching her attention. He frowned and zoomed his glasses in on her, trying to see what she was doing. She walked a few feet down the hallway and picked something up, something small. Then she looked back to the window and hesitated before walking back to it and picking something else up.

He couldn't quite see what she was doing at first but then he saw her hold up a ring, examine it, and then tuck both it and a chain into her cleavage.

He nearly fell off the building, clutching at his neck to make sure he'd seen what he thought he'd seen.

He let out a string of curses. If he hadn't misjudged her intelligence...he was in a lot of trouble.

* * *

"I don't see what's so difficult to understand about it," Lois frowned irritably the next evening, leaning over Chloe's notes. "The guy's a louse. A criminal."

Chloe sighed. She felt that might be taking it a little far, but Lois was incensed with the belief that the Green Arrow had thoroughly embarrassed Martha Kent - the greatest of all deadly sins - and seriously damaged her chances for re-election. On some level, Chloe agreed, but she wasn't quite as ready as Lois to string the Green Arrow up from a tree.

She'd been putting off the article all day, working on all the extra assignments she'd promised Perry lately, the little, boring, fluff pieces.

But as the day wore on she couldn't put it off any longer. Perry knew there had been an incident, and apparently he had dubbed all things Green Arrow to be Chloe's responsibility, particularly since she'd been at the scene of the crime.

Lois picked up a sharpie and bent over Chloe's notes, scribbling a few things down for her, and then adding the word "Bandit" next to the words "Green Arrow" at the top of the page.

"There," she said with a satisfied tone, "that should help. Now I've got a date with Bruce since he's not in town much longer." She glanced around at the nearly empty bullpen, almost everyone having gone home for the day. She looked down at Chloe and rested a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "Just remember: fair and unbiased. And try not to stay here too late, cuz."

"Thanks, Lo," Chloe said half-heartedly as Lois threw her bag over her shoulder.

Lois left and Chloe soon found herself alone with her notes, the ring she had found burning a hole in her pocket.

Seized with a sudden paranoia, she looked around to be sure that everyone really had gone home, the hairs on the back of her neck rising for some reason. She shook herself, turning back to the matter at hand. She sighed, rubbing her hand over her face tiredly. She would _not_ look into the ring now. She could do that on her own time. She needed to write the article first, and the ring didn't have anything to do with the stolen necklace. At least that was what she told herself.

The truth was she saw the ring not as related evidence, but as a key to the Green Arrow's identity. Thief or not, he had stopped a bank robbery, helped her expose a major crime, and saved her life. She wasn't going to reveal his identity at the drop of a hat.

She shook her head and looked down at her notes. Lois's harsh additions combining with the undisputed facts to give her a seemingly pitiful look, as if they were saying to her, "Cheer up kid. You're obviously just not as good of a judge of character as you thought for all these years."

She scoffed, as if the papers had offended her, muttering under her breath, "Not a good judge of character, huh?" She snatched up her pen, intending to strike out the word, "Bandit," but suddenly Lois's voice rang in her ears: _Fair and unbiased._

Biting her lip, she put the word in parentheses and drew a question mark next to it. Then she pulled out the ring and started photographing it with her new camera. There was a very small engraving on it, and she hoped if she digitally enhanced the photos, she might have a clue to his identity. She wasn't prepared to expose him just yet, but maybe if she knew who he was, it would provide some sort of insight into why he would steal.

She had just pulled the photos up on the computer, setting the ring momentarily aside when the dart hit her desk, releasing some sort of smoke. Before she even had time to react, she felt the gas tugging at her sense, slipping her into unconsciousness.

* * *

Oliver - or, rather, the Green Arrow - stepped out of the shadows, feeling only a light tinge of guilt at the sight of her passed out in her chair.

He'd been forced to follow her home the previous night and then extensively search her apartment when she left for work. Faced with the fact that she had clearly brought the ring with her when she left, he'd followed her to the Daily Planet, hiding in the ventilation and hoping an opportunity would present itself.

Not the way he preferred to spend his Saturday.

When she failed to produce the ring for her brunette friend, he began to question whether she really had it with her after all. His relief had been immense when she finally showed it.

He picked up the ring and pocketed it, prepared to leave then and there, but his curiosity got the better of him. He glanced down at Chloe, smirking, "You don't mind, do you?" He paused, as if waiting for an answer before grinning, "Well all right then."

He moved behind the desk to stand next to her, looking down at the papers scattered over her desk. His brow arched, impressed. She'd done her homework. She had print outs of information on every major robbery in the last month. All the ones he'd been behind had the titles highlighted, and the others had big X's crossed over them in permanent marker. She'd put together the fact that none of the robberies had been reported to the police, including Mrs. Douglas's necklace. And she'd noticed something he'd actually failed to connect: all the alleged victims employed the same security company.

There was a police sketch she'd obviously contributed to, with disconcerting accuracy, although fortunately, even in the drawing, he was wearing a hood and sunglasses.

Finally, in front of her was a legal pad with her scribbling all over it, and on the computer was a photo of his family crest on the ring. He arched an eyebrow at that and promptly deleted the photos from her camera and computer. He glanced at the notes to make sure she hadn't connected anything to the crest and found that his heart sank a little at the words scrawled across the top of the page. "_Green Arrow (BANDIT)?"_

He glanced at her. "Come on, Beautiful. Cut me some slack." Digging around, he managed to find a green sharpie and promptly scribbled through the word "Bandit" before glancing through her notes to see what else she had to say. He circled the section about no one reporting the items missing, hoping that she would focus her attention on that.

He was going to leave it at that but suddenly stopped. "Oh hell with it," he muttered, rolling his eyes at himself. It wasn't so much that he cared how the media portrayed him. It was just that he was unusually concerned with _her_ opinion of him. He didn't like the idea of her thinking so lowly of him. He pulled open the internet on her computer and set to work, pulling up the necklace's black market history in one window, figuring she'd take the lead on that one. Then he pulled open a couple of pages noting the history of anonymous donations coinciding with the robberies. He shot another look at the police sketch and considered having it shredded, but then figured that was going a bit far, and anyway she'd just give the details on him a second time and have another one drawn up. So instead he searched her desk for a pencil and then took the eraser to the sketch, "improving" it. He got rid of the ever-so-incriminating cleft in his chin, narrowed his neck a bit, and altered his mouth slightly. He knew he couldn't do anything too dramatic or she would realize it, but that dimple definitely had to go. He straightened up, tossing the pencil aside. "That oughta do it," he said pleasantly.

He took another look at Chloe and then made one last quick decision, scanning her desk until he found a pad of sticky-notes. Jotting a few words down on it, he put the pad back and placed the note on her forehead, lips pressing together with humor as he imagined her outrage when she woke up, which, he realized a bit nervously, would be within the next few minutes most likely. He shouldn't have lingered so long.

Unable to stop himself, he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Later, Sidekick," he said in her ear before taking his leave.

* * *

Chloe groaned, her senses slowly returning to her as she blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to bring the world back into focus. She reached up to rub her forehead and knocked off a sticky note that had gotten there somehow. She shot up in her chair, memory of the little green dart flooding back to her. She looked around and sure enough the ring was gone.

"Jerk," she muttered irritably, snatching the sticky-note off the ground to read.

_Sidekick_ -

She rolled her eyes at the address.

_Looking forward to reading it._

_Yours,_

"_Green Arrow"_

She narrowed her eyes at the signature. He obviously wasn't fond of the "Bandit" addition. "Arrogant ass," she said, noticing he'd struck it out on her notepad as well. She frowned as she noticed the additions he'd made to her notes, checking off things as if to give her his approval, and circling the bit about no one reporting the stolen items. She grabbed her camera and saw that sure enough, the photos were gone. And on the computer as well. She frowned, leaning forward as she started flipping through the web pages he'd left open for her.

She grinned, then. _Well_, she thought happily, _this puts a new spin on things._

* * *

Oliver grinned a day later as he read the latest edition of the paper. He hadn't made the headline this time, only a brief intro in the sidebar of the front page, directing him to its continuation a couple of pages later.

It looked like she'd accepted his little..._nudge_. She'd put together the fact that every item had some sort of dirty history, and that every robbery matched up with an extremely generous, anonymous donation to a charity. He had to chuckle a little as he continued reading, noting the general tone of disapproval in the article. She defended him to an extent, and she'd left out the addition to his name, but she clearly didn't condone the actual act of stealing, no matter what his intentions. Although, to his absolute delight, she compared him to Robin Hood at one point.

"All right, all right," he said to the article as he reached the final paragraph. "I can take a hint."

He knew it was probably dumb, but he couldn't resist shooting her another e-mail. He opened up the yahoo account he'd created solely for the purpose of sending her his last e-mail and was surprised to see she'd replied to him. It hadn't occurred to him to check.

_Archer,_

_Thanks. Couldn't have done it without your help. I owe you one._

_Be seeing you._

"_Sidekick"_

He grinned broadly as he read it. Looked like she was relatively modest, too. He opened up a new e-mail and sent a response to her latest article on him.

* * *

Chloe, sitting at home with Lois and enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon, glanced up when her computer alerted her to a new e-mail. She stood from the couch to go check it and Lois shouted grumpily after her, not taking her eyes off the movie they were watching, "No work. You promised."

"I know; I know. I'm just going to see what it says." She pulled open her e-mail and felt her heart thump erratically at the name of the sender. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Lois was amply distracted before eagerly opening it.

_Sidekick_ -

_Okay, okay. I see your point._

_;)_

_The Prince of Thieves_

She rolled her eyes at his Robin Hood reference. He really was an arrogant one. She e-mailed him back, smirking.

_Bandit,_

_Was the knock-out gas really necessary? _

She debated how to sign it, but then suddenly grinned and finished it off, hitting send. Then she closed her laptop, knowing that Lois wouldn't be pleased if she jumped up every five minutes to check her e-mail

* * *

Oliver looked up in surprise when he saw he had a new e-mail. Surely it wasn't from her, he chided himself, figuring it was just a coincidence. It was, though, and he laughed at her message, but frowned at her sign-off.

_Not amused,_

_The Honorable Sheriff_

Knowing he was being stupid to get ensnared in this, he responded anyway.

_I'd rather see you as the Maid Marion of this scenario. You don't seem like the sheriff type._


	5. Chapter 5

_One of these nights,  
One of these crazy old nights,  
We're gonna find out, Pretty mama,  
What turns on your lights._

One of These Nights  
The Eagles

-5-

After Lois went home that evening, Chloe had to control the urge to rush to her computer, calmly forcing herself to tend to a few other mundane tasks firsts.

Then, after she had pulled on her pajamas and was sitting on her bed with the covers pushed back, she settled her laptop in her lap and opened it, a small thrill tingling down her spine at the sight of a new message.

This was pathetic, she shook her head ruefully. She was behaving like a teenager. Not that the knowledge stopped her toes from curling as she read his message.

_I'd rather see you as the Maid Marion of this scenario. You don't seem like the sheriff type._

She rolled her eyes, grinning in spite of herself and feeling a bit of warmth rush to her cheeks. Not that he would ever know that, of course, she reminded herself with a somewhat grim satisfaction. Her hands hovered over the keyboard momentarily, internally debating with herself.

_Consider me the sheriff in your life until I forgive you for the knock-out gas. Which may never happen, by the way._

She nearly mentioned the fact that he had deleted her photos as well but decided against it. That one she could understand, even if it was frustrating for her. She didn't have to wait long for a reply. Apparently he didn't have much to do at 8:00 on a Sunday night either, although she thought vaguely of suggesting that he _ought_ to have something to do. She shook the thought away and opened her e-mail.

_But it was just a _tiny_ bit of knockout gas. And how about Little John or Will Scarlet? I mean, they're men, granted, but at least they're better than the sheriff._

She had the uncanny impression that wherever he was, he was smirking.

_One, there is no such thing as a forgivable amount of knockout gas._

_Two, I think you're a little too attached to the Robin Hood allegory._

_Three, no, I will not be one of your merry men. And before you suggest Friar Tuck, let me just put an end to that idea right now._

She drummed her fingers idly, waiting for his response. It came moments later, but when she opened it, it was a link to a webpage. She swallowed nervously, opening it and realizing it was a private chat room. She chewed on her lip anxiously before making a decision. She created a screen name and logged in.

* * *

Oliver grinned when he saw her log in, instantly amused by her choice of screen name. Before she had a chance to say anything, he addressed her last e-mail.

**emeraldarcher1** 1.) Does it help if I apologize for the gas?

**emeraldarcher1** 2.) It's my favorite book.

**emeraldarcher1** 3.) You're just bringing me right back to the Maid Marion suggestion.

**emeraldarcher1** 4.) I like your screen name.

She responded almost instantly.

**sidekick101** You do realize I practically hack computers for a living, right? I could easily trace your IP address right now.

**sidekick101** and 1. it only helps a little. 2. why am I not surprised? 3. I know a losing battle when I see one. and 4? You would.

Oliver grinned as he replied.

**emeraldarcher1 **call it a leap of faith

**emeraldarcher1 **1-4: I win.

**sidekick101 **...understand that I am exhibiting an awe-inspiring level of self-restraint right now.

**sidekick101**and it's a cheap victory

He chuckled at her response, supposing it was true. He hoped she could fight off her curious nature for his own sake.

**emeraldarcher1 **challenges are good for you

**emeraldarcher1** so what are you doing right now?

He sucked in a breath unconsciously as he sent the second message, hoping it wasn't too personal for her. He didn't want to scare her off. There was an extra-long pause as he waited on her.

**sidekick101** Besides talking to you? Nothing. My cousin spent the afternoon with me and we had a movie marathon.

He released the breath he'd been holding.

**emeraldarcher1** fun. what movie(s)?

**sidekick101** Valentine's Day, He's Just Not That Into You, and Love Actually

**emeraldarcher1** lame.

**sidekick101** don't look at me. She chose them. And normally she's more of a The Hangover girl, in her defense.

**sidekick101** she's trying to send me a subliminal message

**emeraldarcher1** message being?

**sidekick101 **she thinks I need a man.

**sidekick101** ...which, considering the fact that I'm on the internet talking to unknown and potentially psychotic strangers...I'm beginning to think she has a point.

**sidekick101** lol

**emeraldarcher1** "potentially psychotic?"

**emeraldarcher1** ouch.

**sidekick101** lol don't take it personally. I have a long history with crazy people.

**emeraldarcher1** interesting.

**emeraldarcher1** any comfort to know I'm relatively sure I'm not a lunatic?

**sidekick101** oh yes. I'll sleep safe tonight knowing you don't think you're insane.

Oliver paused, glancing at the clock. Sighing, he typed something and hit the enter button.

**emeraldarcher1** speaking of sleeping safe...

**emeraldarcher1** gotta go.

There was another short pause before she replied.

**sidekick101** no problem. try not to do anything illegal. and be safe.

She logged out before he could say anything else. He grinned at her last statement. "Be safe." It was small, and stupid, and he doubted she'd even put much thought into it. In fact, it was probably just the only thing she could think of as a response, but something about the fact that she had expressed even the mildest concern over his well-being warmed his heart.

* * *

A little over two weeks later, Chloe woke up on a Tuesday morning, smiling for no reason in particular.

She went to the kitchen, humming lightly to herself as she grabbed the pot of coffee waiting for her and poured it for herself, contemplating making some sort of breakfast for herself for once. Fried eggs and bacon sounded especially tempting. The whole apartment seemed cheery and bright, sunlight streaming in her floor-to-ceiling windows, leading onto her balcony. The weather was turning cooler now that it was September, but it was pleasantly sunny.

Sipping her coffee she headed for her computer, like she now did every morning.

**From: emeraldarch... Subject: 5 Things**

_Sidekick,_

_Tell me five random things about yourself. Here's mine._

_1. I'm allergic to peanuts._

_2. Neither of my parents are living._

_3. I almost designed a boxing glove arrow._

_4. I have broken almost every bone in my body at least once._

_5. I almost ate a centipede once._

_Have a good day,_

_Archer_

Chloe grinned, taking another long sip of coffee before opening up a reply e-mail.

_Archer,_

_Why on earth would you eat a centipede? And is a boxing glove arrow even aerodynamically sound?_

_1. My diet consists almost entirely of coffee and blueberry muffins._

_2. Both of my parents are living. Neither of them speaks to me. One can't. One won't._

_3. I believe in aliens._

_4. I had my life threatened on such a regular basis in high school that I've actually lost count of how many times I almost died._

_5. Tulips are my favorite flowers._

_You, too,_

_Sidekick_

Deciding against the extra breakfast at the thought of a blueberry muffin, she stopped at a coffee shop on the way to work instead to pick one up.

At work she greeted Lois and Clark with a smile, not noticing when both of them raised curious eyebrows at her. She ate the last of her blueberry muffin, tossing Lois a bag with a maple donut in it that she'd bought on a whim.

She sat down to her desk and before she looked at what was in her in-tray, she warmed up her computer and opening her e-mail.

**From: emeraldarch... Subject: Re: Re: 5 Things**

_Sidekick,_

_The centipede thing: It's a long story. I'll tell you about it someday when I have more time._

_The bg arrow...no, apparently, it's not._

_Why am I so utterly unsurprised at the number of times you've almost been killed? You attract too much trouble._

_The alien thing: also not surprised. I may have looked up your work from high school. You have a cult following, by the way. There's a couple of kids named Zoe and Clayton that idolize you._

_Talk to you later,_

_Archer_

_P.S. Would I get in trouble if I sent you tulips at work?_

Smiling she typed up a quick response before turning to her work. She was going to have to go to City Hall. The mayor was holding a press conference about recent allegations that he was embezzling city money. She'd probably take Clark or Lois with her. She headed to the copy room for a cup of coffee before returning to her desk to get to work.

_Archer,_

_I'm holding you to that centipede story._

_Stalker. I have a "following?" You're kidding. I'm looking that up later._

_Later,_

_Sidekick_

_P.S. Yes._

After work, Chloe went out for chinese food with Lois, and as she was talking to her cousin, she was texting on her blackberry under the table.

**sidekick101** she's talking about setting me up on a blind date again

**emeraldarcher1 **I forbid you to let your cousin set you up.

**sidekick101** jealous, arrow?

**emeraldarcher1** concerned for your well-being, don't trust your cousin.

**sidekick101 **uh huh

**emeraldarcher1 **how's the food?

**sidekick101** hasn't gotten here yet

"CHLOE!"

Chloe jumped in her seat, looking up. Lois was glaring at her. She swallowed nervously.

"All right," she demanded. "Quit texting Mr. Mysterious under the table. Focus. On me. I'm more important than your Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan affair."

Chloe rolled her eyes, putting her phone back in her purse. It hadn't taken Lois long to figure out Chloe was e-mailing some mysterious guy, but Chloe had carefully neglected to mention it was the Green Arrow. "Lois, it's not an affair. And I have a strange suspicion that he's not really the Tom Hanks type, anyway," she joked.

Lois looked at the ceiling for help. "Chloe, whoever that is spends way too much time talking to you for it to be strictly platonic. And you can't even try to tell me you don't have a thing for Dear John. You've actually started glowing now. It's so cute it's bordering on disgusting."

Chloe blushed feverishly. "It's not like that. We're just...friends. Sort of."

"Yeah, yeah," Lois said as the waiter arrived with their meals. Chloe dug hungrily into her sesame chicken, relishing her first proper meal in days. She should probably start eating out more. Apparently she couldn't be trusted to properly nourish herself. "Look, a guy sending you that many e-mails: it might as well be love-letters. Why don't you meet the guy in person?"

Chloe sighed. There was no way she could possibly answer that question truthfully. "One, I'm not interested in him that way." Total lie. "Two, you know what the internet's like. He could be a creepy stalker. Or...I don't know...a perv or something," she snatched at excuses.

Lois arched a brow, unfooled. "And yet, with such allegations, you continue to talk to him?"

"Well even if he is a creepy stalker in real life, he's still nice to me," Chloe joked. Then she decided to steer the subject into safer waters. "You hear from Bruce lately?" she questioned.

Lois narrowed her eyes. "Don't think I don't see through your little diversions, Miss Sullivan. But as a matter of fact, yes. He finally called yesterday. Asked how I was doing." She paused dramatically, pretending to look casual as she took a bite of fried rice. "And he wants to know if I'll visit him in Gotham."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Really? Lo, that's fantastic! You're going right?" She frowned at the evasive look on Lois's face. _ "Right?"_

Lois didn't meet Chloe's eyes. "I have work...and..._work_."

Chloe looked at her amusedly. "I'm sorry, is that a note of _fear_ I hear in Lois Lane's voice?"

"I'm not scared!" Lois protested. "I just don't think I can take off from the Planet. You know how it is!"

"You're totally chicken," Chloe laughed. "You could easily persuade Perry to give you a weekend off, no sweat."

"Look I'm not scared, I just...I don't know. Visiting him is a big step. I mean, when he comes to Metropolis, it's business. I just happen to be here as well. Going to visit him would be like...like..."

"Like going to visit him?" Chloe suggested humorously. At the glare Lois shot her, she surrendered. "Okay, okay. Sorry. But seriously, it just a weekend visit. It's not like he's proposing or something. Shouldn't you be happy? Last time he left town you complained for almost a month about how he didn't call you."

Lois chewed her food thoughtfully, mulling over Chloe's point. "I guess that's true."

"Exactly. And anyways, Bruce is a good guy. I think you'd have a good time visiting him."

Lois smirked. "Oh, we'd _have_ a good time all right."

Chloe groaned. "Crossing into that too much information territory!" she warned.

"You're just jealous cuz you're not getting any," Lois teased. Then she paused, chopsticks halfway to her mouth. She looked up curiously, "Are you?"

Chloe looked surprised. "No. Why?"

"I was just wondering if you and this guy have had cyber sex or something."

Chloe choked slightly on her chicken. _"What?"_

"You know, 'sexting' or whatever."

Chloe laughed. "What on earth is 'sexting?'"

"Dirty text messages."

Chloe turned red, laughing embarrassedly. "Definitely not."

"That's boring," Lois looked disappointed. "You should try it. I bet he'd be into it," she smirked.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Uh huh. Unlike you, Lois, my mind isn't constantly in the gutter."

"Oh yes it is," Lois argued. "You just don't talk about it. I, on the other hand, see no reason for such ridiculous pretenses."

"Of course you don't," Chloe sighed, the corner of her mouth twitching in spite of herself.

* * *

Later that evening she sat in front of the TV, computer in lap and carton of leftover chinese in hand.

**sidekick101** james bond marathon on channel 13

**emeraldarcher1** yeah, i was watching it earlier. which is your favorite bond?

**sidekick101** other than the obvious connery, probably daniel craig.

**emeraldarcher1** seriously? pierce brosnan was so much better.

**sidekick101** first, craig is really ripped and therefore extremely hot.

**sidekick101 **second, brosnan's movies were practically pornographic. too much sex, not enough action

**emeraldarcher1** ...exactly?

**sidekick101** perv

**emeraldarcher1** guilty.

**emeraldarcher1** but you've got to admit, the craig films are severely lacking in gadgets, which is half the fun of bond.

**sidekick101** hmm. said the man who loves his high-tech toys. shocker.

**emeraldarcher1** my gadgets are extremely awesome and you know it.

**sidekick101** ...let's not talk about your 'gadgets' anymore.

**emeraldarcher1** now who's the perv?

Chloe chuckled. Right. Her mind flashed back to her lunch with Lois and suddenly she blushed slightly.

**sidekick101** so how have things for GA been going lately?

**sidekick101** no thievery I hope?

**emeraldarcher1** and risk your wrath? yeah right.

**emeraldarcher1** things are good. unusually slow. kinda nice.

**sidekick101** looks like between you and superman Met crime has gotten a lot better.

**emeraldarcher1 **...

**emeraldarcher1** was that a compliment?

**sidekick101** stop smirking.

**emeraldarcher1 **I have no idea what you're talking about.

**emeraldarcher1** the important thing here is that you just gave me a compliment.

**sidekick101** barely.

**emeraldarcher1** you liiiiiike me.

**sidekick101** I take the whole thing back.

**emeraldarcher1** too late. we all know the truth now. you think I'm amazing. just admit it.

**sidekick101** I'm _amazed_ by the size of your ego.

**emeraldarcher1** but amazed nonetheless

**sidekick101** my cousin is right. I need a hobby. or a man. anything so I stop spending this much time talking to you.

**emeraldarcher1** I'm not letting go of the important fact here: you liiiiiike me.

**sidekick101** never complimenting you again. ever.

**emeraldarcher1** that's okay. because I'll still know the truth. ;)

**sidekick101** you're so annoying.

**emeraldarcher1** annoyingly amazing

**emeraldarcher1** so how was work today? anything big?

**sidekick101** yeah. mayor hosted a press conference. bunch of BS about how he's not stealing funds. which he totally is. I just can't prove it yet. he's on my radar, though.

**emeraldarcher1** if I didn't dislike him so much, I'd feel sorry for him.

Chloe chuckled. She debated asking him what he did for a day job, but she usually avoided asking him too many direct questions about his personal life, not wanting him to think she was trying to figure him out. Which she was secretly dying to do. She held back, though, not wanting to mess with a good thing. If he wanted to tell her, he'd do it on his own. For now, she figured he probably thought she was safer not knowing. Which he did.

**emeraldarcher1 **so how was the rest of lunch with your cousin?

**sidekick101** absurd.

**emeraldarcher1** oh? interesting adjective.

**sidekick101** I'll give you a sample: she thinks we should have cyber sex.

**sidekick101** the woman has a one-track mind.

**emeraldarcher1** I think your cousin is my new favorite person. you should talk dirty to me.

**sidekick101** this afternoon you didn't like my cousin.

**sidekick101** and you can't possibly mention my cousin and talking dirty in the same breath and expect me to do it.

**sidekick101** that's just disturbing

**emeraldarcher1** well, I'd set the mood, but...it's instant messaging.

**emeraldarcher1** I don't know how much 'mood' there is to offer.

**sidekick101** are you kidding? have you seen the number of emoticons on here? there are more moods than I knew I was capable of experiencing. lol

**emeraldarcher1** is there a 'sexy time' emoticon?

**sidekick101** I'll say it again:

**sidekick101** perv

**emeraldarcher1** -sigh-

**emeraldarcher1** one day you'll realize you're secretly in love with me.

**emeraldarcher1** and then we can finally consummate our cyber love

**emeraldarcher1** with incredibly hot cyber sex

**sidekick101** I'm never planting one of my cousin's ideas in your head ever again. lesson learned.

**emeraldarcher1** does this mean no cyber sex?

Pause.

**emeraldarcher1 **...you're giving me the death glare through your computer, aren't you?

**sidekick101** yep

**emeraldarcher1** I can feel it.

**emeraldarcher1** ...

**emeraldarcher1** it's kind of hot.

**sidekick101** OHMYGOD!

**emeraldarcher1** lol sorry couldn't resist

**emeraldarcher1** on that note, however, I gotta go. usual reasons.

**sidekick101** have a good night. be safe.

**emeraldarcher1** you, too. dream about me. ...and then be sure to tell me about it.

**sidekick101** pretending you stopped at "you, too"

With which she logged out for the night. Tomorrow morning when she woke up, they went through the same thing all over again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone reading this fic. The accumulated reviews between FFN and LJ have combined to make the most reviews I have ever received on a single chapter, and all of them were extremely high praise! I'm so glad everyone is enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it.**

**Love,  
BlueSuedeShoes**

* * *

_I'd do anything, anything you can dream of.  
I'd do anything, anything for your love._

Anything for Your Love  
Eric Clapton

-6-

_"Arrow? What are you doing here?"_

_It was a good question. What was he doing in Chloe's apartment in the middle of the night?_

_"Fixing a problem."_

_At this, Chloe frowned, reaching over to turn on her bedside lamp and sitting up in her bed. He watched hungrily as the blanket slid down her body, exposing a thin, white tank top and the ample cleavage it placed on display. She looked up at him now, blinking her eyes to adjust them to the light. He watched as her mind slowly registered the time on her clock. More alert now, she climbed out of bed entirely, and he unabashedly studied the length of her legs, all the way up to her thighs, totally exposed as she was only wearing a pair of lace boy-shorts with the tank top. She shivered beneath his gaze, her nipples tightening in response. She vaguely thought that she should find some pants but for some reason she made no move to do so. "What problem?" She swallowed nervously when he moved toward her._

_"I'll tell you," he said, placing his hands on her hips and turning her around so her back was flush against his chest. Her pulse picked up speed, able to see their reflections in the mirror over her dresser. "Every night, Chloe," he spoke with his lips against her ear, "I follow you home to make sure you get there okay. And every night I watch you go through the same rituals. Work on your laptop, leftovers for dinner if anything, luke warm coffee you brought home from the Planet, shower, pajamas - "_

_Her breathing hitched and her body tensed against his, realizing he must have seen her changing clothes...among other things._

_" - more work on your laptop," his fingers were rubbing heavy circles on her hips, and an almost undetectable gasp escaped her lips, "and then I watch you pleasure yourself - " his hands dug deeper into her hips, forcing her to rock them back against his hard-on, " - and I think how wrong it is that a beautiful, intelligent, amazing woman who practically saves the world on a regular basis has to give herself pleasure." His hands moved away from her hips, and he smirked at the tiny, involuntary little whimper he heard in response. He skimmed the backs of his fingers down her arms, sending a wave of lust to her lower stomach as he progressed. When he found the backs of her hands he grasped them lightly and brought the left one up to cup her own breast, the right one to her stomach, just over her navel. "And I think that considering all she does, maybe it would be a nice gesture," he clenched his hand over the one cupping her breast, encouraging her to tweak her nipple through the shirt, "to give her a little something back." He brought her right hand lower down, pressing it against her stomach as he dragged it to the V of her thighs. She groaned as her manipulated her, the sight of their reflections in the mirror sending a rush of liquid to her panties._

_He bit her ear gently and then dragged his lips down her neck, a shudder spreading through her body in response as he encouraged her to cup her heat, moving her hand back and forth over her quickly dampening panties._

_"Arrow," she whined softly, chest heaving, nipples brushing harshly against the fabric of the nightgown._

_"Tell me what you want, Chloe. Tell me what you like to imagine when I see your hand slip below your waist." He shoved the fabric of her camisole down her shoulder to expose her breast and then wrapped his hand over hers again, bringing it back to her breast so she could pinch her bare nipple. Chloe moaned and arched her back, pressing her breast into her - and his - hand. He pressed her right hand a little harder as he slid it along her panties yet again, achingly slowly. "Do you imagine someone else's fingers?" he questioned. And then she felt his mouth sucking on her bare shoulder, his tongue swirling a pattern on the skin. "Or tongue?" he whispered. Then he pushed her hand beneath her panties, encouraging her to slip a finger inside of her wet heat. He lifted his lips back to her ear as he helped her pump her finger in and out. "Or do you picture his long, hard cock fucking you?"_

_Chloe's breath came in a sharp gasp, her head falling back onto his shoulder, eyes shutting. He grazed her throat with his teeth, gently pulling her hand away in spite of her moaned protestations. Her thighs were aching with need, and she pressed them together in a futile attempt to ease their pain, his left hand all the while encouraging the continued caresses of her breast. Pressing the heel of her hand against her body, he dragged it all the way up her stomach and chest, up to her lips, where he pressed the tips of her dripping fingers against her parted lips._

_"Lick them," he whispered hotly in her ear, and Chloe obediently allowed her fingers to slip into her mouth, moaning as she closed her lips over them one at a time, tasting herself for him. She sucked hard on her fingers, as if it could relieve some of the tension she felt in her lower belly. He watched her as she licked them clean, tongue swiveling each one for good measure, and she felt his cock twitch greedily against her. He brought his gloved fingers up to trace the line of her jaw, tilting her face toward him. He brushed his lips lightly against hers, tantalizing her. "How do you taste?"_

_Chloe moaned, her hips rocking back against him wantonly. "Like I want you."_

_His response was to attack her lips with his, immediately plunging his tongue into the cavern of her mouth, seeking any remnants of her honey. Chloe's body turned to meet him, grasping the sides of his face beneath the hood, not allowing him to pull away from her. He pushed her back onto the bed, immediately spreading her thighs apart, his hands tearing her lace panties and casting the unwanted fabric aside and then settling himself between her legs. He dragged his lips away from her mouth, down her throat and over to her right breast, then her left, her loud moans encouraging him as he sucked each nipple through the thin fabric, nipping lightly and circling his tongue around the pebbled buds until she writhed in anguish beneath him._

_"Arrow!" she pleaded, her hands clutching him to her. Her hips bucked of their own accord, meeting only the leather covering his arousal. "Please! Please, oh, God!"_

_He smirked as he moved his lips still further down her body before finally meeting with the bare flesh of her inner thighs, which were quaking with unfulfilled need. "Tell me again," he commanded before licking her thigh with his flattened tongue, maddeningly close to her core. "Tell me that you want me."_

_Chloe released an agonized moan, barely able to form coherent thoughts any longer._

_He placed an open mouthed kiss on her opposite thigh. "Tell me, Chloe."_

_"I - oh - oh, please - ugh!" Her thighs felt like they would shatter her need for him was so strong_

_"Say it, Chloe."_

_"I - I - want - "_

_"Say it!"_

_"I want you!"_

* * *

Chloe shot up in bed, panting for breath and glancing around her to be sure she really was alone in the dark of her room.

She fell back onto her pillow again, trying to catch her breath, and feeling the sweat that had beaded on her body. Another dream.

"Water," she gasped in a whisper. "I need water."

It wasn't good, she thought as she dragged herself to the kitchen to get a glass of water from the tap. She'd been having sex dreams about him for days now. There was no way he thought of her like that, though, or even if he did, what exactly were they going to do about it? Have sex on a rooftop? It was ridiculous. What was more, it was maddening.

She wish she could at least stay asleep long enough to get an orgasm out of it if she was going to have these stupid dreams.

_Maybe Lois is right_, she thought with a bitter twinge humor. _I really do need to get laid._

* * *

When Oliver woke that morning, his predicament was painfully similar to Chloe's earlier in the night. He groaned, not opening his eyes as he recalled the surreal sensation of her skin, her voice, her taste. Then he abruptly forced his eyes open and stopped his train of thought. He wasn't helping himself.

He couldn't help it. What could he do about it if she was going to insist on being so damned attractive and unattainable? Just thinking about her got him hard.

He rose from bed and started his day with a cold shower. It wasn't the first and he expected it wouldn't be the last.

It was getting to the point where he spent half of his time occupied with thoughts of how to contrive another meeting between her and Oliver Queen. Granted, she seemed to hold Oliver Queen in absolute contempt, but...he could work on that. The trouble was there hadn't been many opportunities for their paths to cross again. He considered showing up at a restaurant the next time she mentioned one, but that felt stalker-ish. And then there was the idea that he could offer her an interview, but he suspected even if she didn't turn him down altogether, she'd be suspicious of the offer. Not to mention if she ever figured out who he was, she'd feel manipulated.

_But she's not _going_ to find out_, he reminded himself firmly. He was putting Chloe in enough danger, just allowing her to have so much contact with the Green Arrow. Fortunately, she had the sense not to advertise it, but if anyone ever did find out, she'd be in serious trouble. He purposefully spared her any personal details about himself, anything that could jeopardize her. With his millionth pang of guilt so far, he thought about how she undoubtedly thought he was protecting himself.

And yet, even thinking that, she seemed to understand. She never pressed for details and rarely even broached the subject. She was one of a kind; that was certain.

He shoved thoughts of his dream to the back of his head as best he could, trying not to groan as images of it flashed to his mind - it had involved his motorcycle, but they'd been going for an entirely different kind of ride this time. Instead he poured a glass of orange juice, opening his computer to check his e-mails before starting his pilates routine.

He smiled as he spotted her e-mail address in the long list, saving it for last. He opened, read, and replied to every single business-related e-mail, read a friendly message from Bruce Wayne, and deleted an e-mail that was an advertisement. Then, unable to suppress a grin, he opened the one from Chloe.

**From: c... Subject: moment**

_Archer,_

_You asked for my most embarrassing moment and my proudest moment? The first one, I'm pretty sure, would be when I found out I'd been nominated for prom queen after I wrote a whole editorial condemning the entire election process. The proudest moment? I'd say probably the day I got hired at the DP. I'd wanted it since I was, like, two._

_Here's my question: Where on earth did you get the costume?_

_Curious, Sidekick_

He raised an amused eyebrow at the idea of her as a reluctant prom queen before responding to her e-mail.

_Queenie,_

_Is it safe to assume you won prom queen? I'm guessing yes. I bet you look adorable in a tiara and sash._

He swallowed as he suddenly imagined her in a swimsuit competition, such adornments the only addition to her tiny string bikini. He felt the ache in his groin make itself known again.

_As for the costume_ - He paused, considering. - _I have a very discreet tailor._

_Next question: What's the biggest turn on in a guy? ...besides green leather. ;)_

_Archer_

He closed his laptop and went through his morning routine: workout, meditation, late breakfast. He had a phone conference with one of the men on his board of directors, who was pressuring him to decrease the work force by ten percent in one of their divisions, something Oliver had absolutely no desire to do.

When it was over he collapsed into the chair at his desk, the tension between his shoulder blades agonizing, and he opened his e-mail to check for Chloe's response, chuckling lightly at her opening statement.

* * *

**From: c... Subject: Re: turn on**

_Archer, _

_Call me "queenie" ever again and you will live to regret it._

_A tailor? What's sad is I honestly don't know if you're joking or not. Oh well, something to add to my list of mysteries. You've got an entire file to yourself, by the way._

_My biggest turn-on in a guy is probably his smile. I was in love with my best friend for most of high school, and he had a smile that could make me weak in the knees. My biggest turn-off, on the other hand? Homicidal tendencies. And yes, I'm speaking from experience. About 90% of the guys who've been attracted to me within the last ten years have tried to kill me. The other ten percent tried to kill everyone _but_ me._

_What about you?_

_Sidekick_

_P.S. I know the flower was from you. If you don't stop giving my cousin reason to believe I'm having an affair, I'm going to have to kick your leather-covered ass._

Oliver chuckled, knowing she'd secretly enjoyed finding the single tulip laying on her desk that morning. He also felt a slight prick of jealousy, quirking an eyebrow at the mention of a former love. He found himself curious about her romantic past. He typed up his response before changing his clothes and heading out for a business lunch.

_Sidekick,_

_You make calling you "queenie" that much more appealing._

_Smile, huh? Wouldn't have guessed that one. So what was this friend of yours like? And as for the turn-off...yeah, I could see that putting a damper on things._

_My biggest turn-on? Tiny, snarky blondes. Definitely._

_Turn-off? Shallowness. I've dealt with a lot of really sleazy women in my time._

_Have a good day. How's the story on the mayor coming?_

_Archer_

Oliver's day proceeded to get worse and worse from then on out. His business lunch was a nightmare, its only saving grace the steady flow of texts he received from Chloe, discreetly answering them when his companions weren't paying attention.

More importantly, he was currently keeping an eye on Lex's activities, having the strange suspicion that something more sinister than illegal weapons trading was going on. Part of the suspicion arose from the fact that he hadn't seen any sign that Lex was up to something recently, which suggested to him not that Lex wasn't plotting anything, but that whatever he was plotting was worse than usual. The second part arose from the sudden bout of charity Lex had been doing to polish his name up a bit for the press. He might have considered this Lex's attempt to cleanse his reputation after the weapons incident, but his gut told him otherwise.

There was a new foundation Lex was supposedly opening, a research center for mental illnesses, and Oliver had been watching its development like a hawk. Something was distinctly off about it, and what worried him most was that he didn't know what that was.

He'd been trying for a week to hack Lex's security to get information on the project, but his computer skills were limited and he knew the longer he took trying to break past them, the more attention he would draw to himself.

He knew he shouldn't even be considering it, but his mind kept coming back to Chloe, who boasted unmatched computer skills. Should he ask for her help? He didn't want to put her in harm's way, but at the same time, he knew she wouldn't care the in the slightest about a little bit of danger. If she even knew he was working on this, she probably would have already forced her assistance on him whether he wanted it or not.

...which was both a good and a bad thing about her. He hadn't known Chloe for long, but he'd already picked up on the fact that she had a distinctly lacking conception of her own value, and she really didn't put much thought into self-preservation.

At the end of the night, when he got served by Lex's software one more time, a virus nearly deleting his entire hard-drive, he'd finally had enough.

Sighing, he let go of it for the moment, opening his latest e-mail from Chloe to distract himself.

**From: c... Subject: Re: Re: turn on**

_Archer,_

_Flattery will get you nowhere._

_My friend is really sweet. Tall, dark, handsome type, and brought up on a farm, so you can probably imagine. Quarterback on the football team. Kind of the nerdy type: clumsy, thick glasses, shy._

_The story on the mayor has temporarily gotten lost in the shuffle. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get substantial evidence of his dirty deeds. Most frustrating thing ever. Meanwhile the "Chief" as my cousin calls him, has me doing fluff pieces, which are soooo boring. As your personal press agent, I would like to make a request: Do something exciting so I can write about it. lol_

_Talk to you later. I'm going out for a drink tonight. Long day needs hard liquor._

_Hoping your day was better than mine,_

_Chloe_

Oliver glowered as he read the portion about her friend, noting immediately the present-tense description, meaning whoever it was was still in her life. He frowned at the conflicting description. It was like she had added the nerdy characteristics as an afterthought, and he'd never pictured her as going for the geeky type. No wonder she hadn't looked twice at Oliver Queen. His mind flitted over to the people he'd seen her with and realized she must be referring to her date for the Senator's evening party. He'd been tall with dark hair and glasses.

Seriously? That was what she was into? So much for thinking she was attracted to Green Arrow at least.

He read the rest of her e-mail with sympathy, seeing that they'd had similar days, and then his brow furrowed slightly at the mention of her going to a bar alone. Did she do that often? Was she going to look for a date?

The idea bothered him, but he did his best to dismiss it, knowing he had no claim over her. He got up and made himself an early drink, preemptive to dinner, wondering if she'd already gone out and what she was wearing and whether or not some guy with too much hair gel was offering to buy her a drink, hoping to get lucky.

* * *

Chloe shifted on her barstool, uncrossing and recrossing her legs, glancing occasionally at her phone in hopes of something to stave off boredom.

"Slow day again, Sullivan?" Bobby asked in greeting as soon as he was free of previous customers.

She nodded, smiling pleasantly at him. "Yeah. The usual?" she asked.

"No problem," he said, grabbing a glass and filling it to the brim with her preferred beer. "Haven't seen much of you lately. Been busy?"

"Yeah," she said, accepting it gratefully. "My friend's mother is Senator Kent, and I've been spending a lot of time helping her with her re-election campaign. Plus I've been trying to get some dirt on the mayor. I know he's a low-life, but he's really good at it!" she whined jokingly.

Bobby glanced around them surreptitiously. He leaned closer. "You didn't hear it from me, but you want to talk to his personal assistant. She hates him. Comes in here all the time whining about him. She's probably his weak spot." He winked.

Chloe raised her glass to him in a grin before taking a swig. "And _this_, Bobby, is why I love you."

"Yeah, yeah," he joked. "For my favorite customer? No problem. So how's your natural disaster of a cousin?" he asked.

Temporarily distracted by her phone buzzing in her pocket, Chloe pulled it out and smiled before glancing up, realizing Bobby had asked her something. "Sorry, what?"

He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching. "And what's that smile for?" he asked, voice full of teasing. "Is that a _man_ texting you, Miss Sullivan?" he asked as if it were a scandal.

Chloe blushed furiously. "Sort of?"

"Sort of?" he laughed. "What is he, a eunuch?"

Embarrassed, Chloe just stammered out an excuse. "Well, yes, it's a man, but it's nothing."

"Based on how red your face is, I'd say that's a lie," he surmised amusedly.

"Well, I mean, he's - we're - oh I don't know," she groaned, giving up. There was no possible explanation.

"Uh huh. Sounds like fun. Ask you out, yet?"

Chloe smirked. Yeah right. A sudden image of her sitting across a table from the Green Arrow enjoying a candlelit dinner at a restaurant flashed through her mind. It was quickly replaced by the pair of them at the movies as he pulled the ol' 'stretch and yawn' technique to slip his arm around her. A giggle slipped out. "Nope, and I don't think he will."

She might not have realized it was there, completely at ease with her statement, but Bobby recognized the hint of regret in her voice. "Well, don't give up on him if you like him." He was going to add something else, but another customer approached the bar, drawing him away for the moment.

Chloe grinned at her phone, mocking herself with the thought: _Alone at last, phone._

**emeraldarcher1 **out at a bar, huh?

**emeraldarcher1** sounds lame. want me to swoop in and save you?

She rolled her eyes at the question and replied.

**sidekick101** as a matter of fact, I'm enjoying myself.

A few seconds later.

**emeraldarcher1 **vicious lies. I know a damsel in distress when I hear one.

**emeraldarcher1 **going to bars alone. whatever are you thinking?

**sidekick101** that I should marry the bartender.

A long pause.

**emeraldarcher1** because?

**sidekick101** 1.) he's got my order memorized.

**sidekick101** 2.) he just helped me out on the mayor case.

**emeraldarcher1** sounds like settling to me.

**sidekick101** lol

**emeraldarcher1 **so...

**emeraldarcher1** I never expected I'd actually do this, but you did say you owed me a while back.

**emeraldarcher1** I have a favor to ask.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Just wanted to take a moment to make something clear, just in case people were getting confused: Even though I've been -ahem- _borrowing _some plot points from Season 6, that is not the time line of this story. Hence Senator Kent's RE-election campaign, and the fact that Chloe is old enough to drink, etc.**

**Thanks for reading!  
BlueSuede  
**

* * *

_Closing time: You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here._

_I know who I want to take me home._

Closing Time  
Green Day

-7-

Chloe's fingers flew across the computer's keyboard, the bluetooth device she'd received in a package that morning hooked up to her ear.

She was alone in the Daily Planet at 11:00 at night, the building once again abandoned, the walls the only witnesses present as she hacked past Lex's system, her pulse going a little more quickly than she preferred. There was no immediate danger, but she had tangoed with Luthors enough times to know that a move like this always held some level of risk. Not that she didn't thrive on that kind of risk, anyway. But the distorted voice in her ear was annoyingly protective.

"_And you're sure there's no one in the building?"_

She rolled her eyes when he repeated the question for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, I'm sure. Look, believe it or not, this isn't my first time to the rodeo, you know. As a matter of fact - " she caught herself just before she said, 'I used to do it all the time for Superman.' "As a matter of fact, it's almost too easy for me."

She grinned in triumph. "Speaking of which. I've downloaded the files you need and saved them to the hard-drive." Her eyes scanned the information rapidly, taking in as much of it as she could for herself before she started typing again. "And I'm deleting all evidence that I've been in. Need anything else?"

"_That's it...and be sure you double check everything. I'll never forgive myself if Luthor comes after you."_

Chloe sighed. "I'm fine. I will _be_ fine. Quit worrying, you nancy," she ordered, pulling the flash drive out of the computer and slipping it into her purse before her fingers returned to the keyboard once more.

"_Nancy? You've got to be kidding me."_

"You're a total worry-wart."

"_Hey, just because you don't value your own life doesn't mean I don't."_

"I value my life plenty, thank you."

"_Well in that case you've got screwed up priorities, which is worse. Why are you doing this again?" _he asked, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

She could tell he was teasing her now, but she couldn't help retorting. "Because you asked me to, you oversized lima bean."

"_I prefer asparagus, thanks. And why would you be dumb enough to let me talk you into something? I clearly am not someone you should be listening to."_

Chloe laughed and shut down the computer. "Yeah, yeah. Well, I've got everything. What do you want me to do with it?" she asked, expecting he'd give her some mysterious drop-off spot or a P.O. box to ship it to.

"_Meet me on the roof in five," _he informed her before disconnecting.

Chloe's body froze. _Meet him on the roof? MEET HIM ON THE ROOF?_ An irrational sense of panic swept over her. It was one thing to run into him at the dock or on the street. This felt weird. She was expected to walk up there and stand on the roof, _knowing_ he was going to be there.

_Well_, she demanded of herself, _why should that bother you? He's just a person. Like anyone else. So you've got a little crush on him. Who cares? Quit freaking out._

She nodded to herself, collected once again. She threw her bag over her shoulder and headed for the elevator, taking it to the top floor and then the flight of stairs that led to the roof.

She walked out and the cool night air hit her. When had the nights gotten so cold? The afternoons were still warm enough not to need a coat when she went out.

She shivered gently as she looked around, spotlights on the giant revolving globe that perched on top of the building provided the only real light from that height. Rubbing her arms gently and knowing deep down that she was shivering partly out of nervousness, she looked around, wondering which direction he would come from.

* * *

Oliver watched her from a neighboring roof, taking in the scene to be safe. She looked slightly cold, in spite of the brown corduroy jacket she wore over an ivory lace top. He momentarily mourned the absence of the pencil skirt she'd been wearing the day he had to steal his father's ring back from her. She'd opted for a sensible pair of dark brown slacks, with matching heels that added three or four inches to her height.

He shook his head, smirking in humor. She was still tiny.

Not noticing as he landed silently just six inches behind her, Chloe started violently when a voice spoke behind her.

"Come here often?"

She spun on her heel, finding herself once again face-to-face with the Green Arrow. She rolled her eyes at his theatrical entrance. "Dramatic much?" she asked, quirking an unimpressed eyebrow at him.

He smirked. "Part of the fun. Got the drive?" he added.

Chloe wasn't listening, she was staring under the shadow of his hood, studying him intently, trying to make out whatever of his features that she could. His back to the only light source, there wasn't much. Only the faint outline of his jaw, and the mirrored lenses of the glasses he wore. She chewed on her lip unconsciously until his words registered with her and she reached into her purse, pulling out the flash drive, never taking her eyes off his face, even as she handed it to him.

She could feel her body tingling with awareness of his proximity to her, and her lips parted unconsciously. He took the drive from her hand but didn't let go of it, and before either of them had a chance to stop and think about the repercussions of it, his other arm had wrapped around her waist, hauling her against him, and his lips had come crashing down on hers, sending a jolt through her entire body.

Her free hand grasped his bicep, steadying herself as she craned her neck back to meet his lips, gasping into his mouth in surprise. His soft lips molded against hers, but he refused to ease the pressure as he slowly persuaded them to respond, sucking on her bottom lip as he momentarily pulled back, only to return again with equal force, his other hand releasing hers to slide around her neck, still clutching the small plastic hard-drive. A low, soft moan quietly escaped her throat and he groaned in response, his lips pressing still more firmly against hers as they moved together. And then he was pulling back and opening his eyes. He released her reluctantly, backing up a step and stopping himself before he did something really stupid.

Chloe bit back a whimper when he released her, her eyes flying back open as shock settled in on her, her stomach full of frantic butterflies. There was a brief pause where neither of them spoke, before finally he turned to leave her, vanishing into the night. She stayed where she was for a few moments, coming to terms with what had happened before heading for the door, slipping off her jacket as she did. She was suddenly feeling rather warm.

* * *

Oliver followed her home, making sure she was safe, all the while thinking he would give his entire fortune to know what was going on inside her fascinating mind.

He didn't fail to notice that she kept absentmindedly raising her fingers to her lips and brushing the tips over them.

* * *

She was at home, making herself a strong cup of coffee and settling onto the couch in front of the TV, unaware that he was watching her through the bay windows from a neighboring roof-top, trying to unravel her mind. She'd changed into plaid flannel pajama pants and a cotton tank top and wrapped a light blanket around her shoulders while she clutched the oversized cup gratefully in her hands. She flipped on the TV and channel-surfed for a bit and settled on _Titanic, _something she'd seen enough times not to have to concentrate on it too hard.

She had her laptop open on the coffee table mostly out of habit, not really expecting to hear from him at least for the night, but she was surprised an hour later when her computer came to life, a message alert, startling her from the world of the movie.

**emeraldarcher1** so.

There was a pause and she quirked an eyebrow, not about to help him.

**emeraldarcher1 **You watching _Titanic_, too?

She laughed, almost with a feeling of relief that apparently they were still in the same territory...mostly. She grinned as she leaned over and pulled the computer into her lap, typing her response.

**sidekick101** duh. Wanna explain to me why _you're_ watching a sappy romance film?

**emeraldarcher1** nothing else on.

**emeraldarcher1** and it's not a sappy romance. it's an archetypal myth. ...sort of.

**sidekick101** how could you possibly come up with that theory?

**emeraldarcher1** well, first off, the story's not about Jack and Rose. It's about Rose.

**sidekick101** ...

**sidekick101 **so what you're saying is that Jack is Rose's Obe Wan Kenobi.

**emeraldarcher1** exactly.

**sidekick101** ...this sounds like an elaborate excuse to make it okay for you to like a sappy romance movie.

* * *

"Come with me."

"What?" Chloe asked, wide eyes snapping up to settle on her cousin.

"Please?" she asked, her face taking on a pleading expression as she clasped her hands together. "Please please please please please please pl - "

"Okay, stop that," Chloe said firmly. "Explain this to me. _Why_ would I want to come to Gotham with you?"

Lois chewed her lip nervously. "For moral support?"

"_Lois_," Chloe chided, taking a sip of her raspberry mojito and shaking her head. "Who are you and what have you done with my cousin?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "I know; I know."

"I mean, this is _you_ we're talking about! I've never seen a guy make you this nervous. Do you really like Bruce that much?" she asked, feeling a slight pang for Clark's sake.

Lois stared into her martini glass noncommittally, swirling the liquid around. "Kinda..."

"My two favorite ladies doing all right?" Bobby interrupted, walking over to check on them. He paused, humor in his eyes as he corrected himself, "Well..._lady_, anyway." He winked at Chloe who snickered.

"Har har," Lois said sarcastically. "You're a real comedian. We're doing just fine," she glared.

Chloe smiled gently. "Lois is having guy troubles."

Bobby raised a good-natured eyebrow. "What's the trouble?"

"Her not-boyfriend wants her to visit and she's freaking out."

He studied Lois. "Well, I always say to trust your gut. Are you freaking out because you're excited or because you think you're making a mistake?"

"I'm not freaking out," Lois protested.

"Lo," Chloe said simply, rolling her eyes.

"Fine, I'm freaking out a little."

"So which one is it?" Chloe asked as Bobby waited curiously.

Lois bit her lip uncertainly.

He nodded, understanding. "_That's_ what you need to figure out. But in the meantime, as long as you at least like the guy, you might as well go as not. Hang on, ladies, I'll be back in a second," he added, noting one of the waitresses needed him.

"He makes a fair point," Chloe said, taking another sip of her drink.

Lois nodded, "Yeah, the nosy bartender's right. I should just go." She eyed Chloe cautiously. "But are you sure you won't come? Please. Partly 'cause I really do need moral support, but you have to admit we aren't seeing each other much lately, either, and you could use a vacation, too. We'll have a guy-free day at least one day while I'm there, and when I'm with Bruce you can just enjoy a little nice R&R at the hotel."

Chloe was poised to decline but she stopped herself, debating. It would be nice to get away for a few days, at least for a short time. She hadn't cashed in on vacation time in ages. Besides, one look at her cousin's face told her she should be there for her. "All right," she caved. "I'll come."

"Yay!" Lois squealed, throwing her arms around Chloe and nearly spilling both their drinks.

"Okay, jeez," Chloe said, patting Lois on the back. "It's not _that_ big of a deal," she said amusedly.

"It is to me," Lois said seriously, pulling back. "And anyway, even if it weren't, we're going to have so much fun!"

* * *

"She's going to Gotham?" Clark asked, heart obviously sinking.

Chloe felt for him, giving him a sympathetic look. They'd both been on the lousy side of unrequited love a few too many times in their lives. "Yeah. I just wanted to be sure you heard it from me so you didn't find out at work."

Clark nodded pitifully. "Thanks."

"Aw, come on, Clark, it's not so bad," Chloe said. They were interrupted as a waitress came up to them and Chloe ordered a BLT and Clark glumly said he hadn't decided yet. "Clark," Chloe said when the waitress left to give him more time, "you should eat. And anyway, you can't sulk. Things always turn out."

He raised a suspicious eyebrow at her. "Why are you so chipper? What's going on with you?"

Chloe blushed. She'd spent the entirety of the previous evening talking online to the Green Arrow, and their flirtation was starting to get excessive. It had left her in a good mood. "Nothing," she said brightly. "I'm just having a good day. No disaster's have struck yet, and it's already - " she checked her watch, "2:00 in the afternoon. I think that's some kind of record. I know this trip sucks for you, but I'm looking forward to a bit of vacation for once," she lied smoothly.

Clark accepted the answer readily enough, although he suspected there was at least a bit more to it than that. The waitress came back and Chloe ordered a bacon cheeseburger for him. Their food came out shortly and Clark poked at the burger noncommittally. "You know," he said frustratedly, "it's just frustrating because I know the reason she doesn't give Clark Kent the time of day is because she's more interested in the cool, confident type. But I _can't_ be that because - "

"Because you have to protect your secret. I know, Clark. It's one of the many sacrifices you've made over time. But that doesn't mean the right girl won't see past it to all the wonderful things there are about you."

Clark smiled a bit at the compliment. "Thanks, Chlo. You're a good friend."

"I know," she joked, taking a bite of her sandwich and groaning at how good it tasted. "Why did we ever stop coming here?" she asked. "I love this place."

He shrugged, lightly, taking a sip of his drink. "We both get so busy."

"We need to fix that. I vote we do this at least once every other week. I'd say once a week but - "

"Neither of us can afford that," Clark finished, chuckling.

"Mmhmm," Chloe agreed. She glanced at Clark and swallowed before speaking again. "You know, I always promised Lo I'd never told you this, so you can't use it against her, but does it make you feel any better to know she thinks you're attractive?"

He looked up in surprise.

"Oh yeah," Chloe said casually, truthfully, taking another bite and swallowing. "Mentioned it on one of the times we were having girls' night. We were talking about guys - you know, 'Which actor would you want to date and why?' 'Which politician would you want to date and why? - and we got to 'Which guy at work would you date and why?' and she said you because you're really polite and nice, and she thinks your hot."

Clark choked on his own saliva. "What?" he demanded.

Chloe shrugged, pleased with his reaction. "Well it's no secret that you're really muscular under those business clothes. She's seen you do too many farm chores not to be aware of that. And she said the nerdy glasses were oddly attractive."

Clark subconsciously pushed said glasses a little higher up the bridge of his nose, not realizing he'd done it. "She did?"

Chloe laughed. "You sound so shocked!"

"I am," he pointed out as though this should be obvious.

"Clark Kent has a lot going for him," Chloe said sincerely. "Even if he's no Superman," she winked.

He took a large bite of his burger now, chewing hungrily before he looked back up curiously, narrowing his eyes at her. "Who did you say?" he asked.

Chloe looked confused. "Who did I say what?"

"Who at work would you date?" he asked.

"Oh," she said, then shrugged. "Either Perry White or Jimmy Olsen."

Clark's jaw fell open, not sure which to be more shocked by. "What?" he asked.

"Well, with Perry, he's one of my childhood heroes, so I admire him a lot. Plus, if I was going to be dumb enough to date in the workplace - no offense - I might as well do it to help my career out a smidge. Not that I think Perry would show an ounce of favoritism to even his own grandmother, but in the sense that I'd have a chance to learn a lot from him."

"And Jimmy?" Clark asked weakly, his morals still recovering from her first assault.

She smirked. "Well, he's not really my type at the end of the day, but he's really sweet. And he's just adorable, really...in a bow-tie kind of way."

Clark shook his head. "I will never understand women."

She reached over and patted his shoulder kindly. "No, no you won't."

* * *

Chloe's trip with Lois wasn't set until the end of the month, meaning that Chloe had several more adventures with the Green Arrow, one or two of which involved still further clandestine meetings on rooftops, with still further knee-weakening kisses, each one more intense than the last.

It was the night before Chloe was leaving for Gotham, and she'd just come home from a evening with coworkers, celebrating one of the reporter's birthdays. Tomorrow morning she would get up for a 6 AM flight for a four day weekend.

She sighed heavily in relief as she reached the door to her apartment, ready to get out of the shoes she had on. She unlocked the numerous locks on her door and shoved it open, leaning over to start undoing the buckle on her strappy black stilettos as she did so. She flipped on the kitchen lights and tossed her clutch on the counter, slipping out of her shrug and slinging her heels over her shoulder, heading straight for her room and her bathroom.

She opened the door and was about to flick on the light switch when a familiar voice met her ears.

"You look nice."


	8. Chapter 8

_You don't have to fight the bad guys,  
Throwing punches out into the black.  
If you have to tell me lies, I don't care.  
Just give me some good back._

Not Alone  
Sara Bareilles

-8-

Chloe let out a small scream of surprise, head whipping in his direction.

Oliver, perched in her window, smirked, watching as she clutched her chest, heart clearly pounding from the shock of finding him there. "You really should lock your window, you know. People could just climb inside any time they wanted."

She glared. "I'll keep that in mind."

Oliver didn't say anything but watched as she walked over and turned on her bedside lamp and then dropped her shoes in her closet. His eyes traveled over the black dress she was wearing, its short hemline and bare shoulders. Her hair was done in curls and she had traces of faded makeup on her face. He wondered where she'd been, but didn't question her. Instead he waited for her to say something. When the shoes were put away she walked over to her dresser and began taking her earrings out, talking to his reflection.

"What are you doing here?" It was a calm, curious question. She clearly didn't mind that he was there.

He wondered if she were really as calm at seeing him as she appeared. He suspected not. He lifted a shoulder, answering vaguely. "I was in the neighborhood. Wanted to see you," he added the understatement. _Needed_ to see her was more like it.

She raised an eyebrow as she dropped one earring in a tray and reached for the other one. "Should I be concerned that you know where I live?"

He just smirked again. "Up to you."

She shook her head various thoughts flashing mildly across her face. She wasn't fooled. Something was off in his tone of voice. Turning to face him, she tilted her head to the side, studying him, and he wondered how much of his face she could make out in her dimly lit room. Not enough to identify him, undoubtedly, but more than she was used to being able to see. When she spoke again there was concern in her voice. "What's wrong?

He stifled a sigh. How could he tell her that he'd been forced to lay off those people from Queen Industries? Thousands of people were out of a job because he'd been forced to snap his fingers. He'd done everything in his power to stop it, but in the end, the board had overruled him. He felt like a villain.

When he didn't answer her, Chloe approached him slowly. She paused in front of him and slipped her hand beneath his hood to cup his cheek. He flinched at first, his instinct to back away in case she was going to unmask him, but then he relaxed. He trusted her.

She waited for the initial reaction to pass patiently, and rubbed her thumb gently across his cheek.

"I don't know if this is something troubling the Green Arrow or the man who is Green Arrow," she paused, waiting until she could feel his eyes meet hers beneath the glasses, "but I think I can take a stab at what it's about, so I'll sum it up for you - " she paused, the corner of her lip twitching, "_both_ of you: you can't save everyone."

He pressed his lips together, trying not to smile. "Can't I try?" he asked stubbornly, unable to keep the hint of laughter out of his voice, however bitter.

She grinned and shook her head, eyes never leaving him. He reached up and covered her hand with his, turning his head to kiss the center of her palm gently. He slid down from the window sill and stood in front of her, leaning against the wall, and pulling her against him. He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear before tilting her chin up so he could kiss her, his body relaxing for the first time in days now that she was there. Comfort, for the first time, seemed to have reached out to him, in the form of this woman that he shouldn't even be kissing to begin with. His heart clenched anxiously at the idea that she might recognize him and be repulsed. Or she might realize the foolishness of falling for someone whose face she'd never seen and run away from him. He was damned no matter what way he looked at it. It was selfish to take her, but he was desperate.

Oliver slid his tongue past her lips, massaging hers with slow, languid strokes, savoring her warmth. His arms tightened around her, almost crushing her against him

Chloe pulled back from his lips gently, her eyes closed as she spoke, almost as if she were speaking to herself. "I'm going to change and wash my face." Her eyes opened. "You can stay if you want to."

He resisted the urge to point out what a dangerous proposition that was, to ask if she really knew what she was doing. Didn't she realize she was setting herself up to take a fall?

But she was already disentangling herself from his arms, turning to leave him. His grip tightened on her waist, preventing the movement.

_Well_, he decided, _as long as I'm going to hell, I may as well make it worth my while_.

He drew her lips back to his, hand clutching the side of her face, and then in a quick movement he turned her so he had her pressed against the wall. He kissed her with more force this time, wanting her to need him as much as he needed her.

Chloe shuddered, the muscles in her stomach tightening with arousal. Every time his lips touched hers, it felt like she lost control of her body, like some sort of hot fluid shoved its way through her veins, tingling down her arms to the tips of her fingers, causing her thighs to ache with anticipation. One of his gloved hands hooked behind her knee, hiking it against his waist, and she gasped at the sudden flood of lust that pooled in her stomach, licking her insides like flames. His hand slid slowly over her thigh, taking his time feeling her soft flesh, and Chloe arched against him involuntarily, groaning into his mouth as his tongue dominated hers. She gripped his biceps tightly, wishing he would move more quickly, her panties dampening the further his hand moved. He reached her hip and brushed his fingers along the lace edge of her panties before grasping her ass. Chloe let out a startled, feminine sound, her lips breaking from his momentarily at the sudden relaxation of her muscles that the touch elicited. He pressed her against him and she could feel his hard-on against her stomach. She whimpered, head falling back to lean against the wall. He kissed his way down her throat, his soft tongue darting out to lick her pulse.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware of the madness. She couldn't avoid the glaring fact that she didn't know his real name, had never seen his face. She knew so much about him, and at the same time, nothing about him. It was insane. It was wrong. And it was seriously turning her on.

A whining sound escaped her throat as he ground against her, her need for him rising each time he put a little more pressure on her core. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough. Her entire body was screaming for him. "Touch me," she whispered, barely able to get the plea out.

He obliged, dropping her leg and sliding his hand between her thighs, rubbing his palm back and forth over her core, causing her to buck her hips in desperation. His other hand glided over her hip and found her breast, flicking his thumb over her nipple through the fabric of her dress. She whimpered in agony as her nipples instantly tightened, the cool black satin of her dress suddenly rough against them.

Without warning he shoved her panties to the side and thrust a finger inside of her and Chloe gasped, eyes flying open in shock. And that was when she realized he was watching her face, staring at her beneath those darkened lenses as if he had never seen anything hotter in his life. Chloe groaned, another wave of desire washing over her, sending a flood of moisture over his finger, which he'd curled to stroke her G-spot in a come-hither motion that had her writhing with pleasure.

"Oh god," she breathed. He smirked, flicking his thumb over her clit and watching her cry out in surprise, her thighs clamping around his hand. He added another finger to her tight passage, stretching her and pumping in and out of her, the texture of the leather of his gloves unfamiliar and strangely welcome. Meanwhile her body arched desperately into his hand as he massaged her breast.

She felt helpless against him, unable to do anything but clutch his arms, praying he would continue. "Don't stop," she begged. "Oh, god!" she cried as he brushed his thumb over her clit again, "More!"

And suddenly he drew his hand out of her and she cried out in frustration, the sound immediately muffled as his lips crashed down on hers again and she whimpered into his mouth, clinging to him, her thighs trembling at the absence of his hand. His tongue caressed hers soothingly as his hands groped for the zipper of her dress.

Every fiber of her being wanted to strip him of his clothes, to feel his bare chest flush against hers as the dress slid from her body, but she forced herself to resist.

A small voice in the back of her mind wondered whether he wanted that, too, whether he was resisting because he thought he was protecting her in some way, that she was safer not knowing. Or, did he simply not trust her quite that much?

She banished the thoughts quickly, kissing him again as hard as she could. She didn't want to think about it. Not then. Not yet. Right at that moment all she wanted was -

"YES!" the word ripped from her mouth when he tore off her panties and stroked her, ghosting circles over her clit. She reached out for him and cupped her hand over his erection, palming him through the leather until she heard him groan. She smirked as he got a taste of how she was feeling. She pressed harder until finally he was hoisting her in his arms and carrying her to the bed. Her back hit the sheets and he hovered over her, pinning her wrists to the pillow just above her head. He leaned down carefully and kissed her softly, before she heard his distorted voice in her ear. "Close your eyes."

Chest rising and falling heavily, Chloe obliged, her eyes sliding shut. His hands released her, and she heard the click of the lamp next to them. She sighed quietly, knowing the reason even as he gently kissed her eyelids. Her momentary regret was soon erased at the feel of his lips closing over her breast. She sucked in a harsh breath and reached down automatically to find him, her fingers meeting soft hair instead of the leather hood she'd been expecting. She moaned quietly as his tongue flicked rapidly over her taut nipple, her fingers threading into his hair, relishing the feel of it in her bare hands. Her finger brushed hard plastic next to his ears and she knew the glasses were still on. She'd already guessed that the voice distorter was one of their features; she knew they weren't coming off.

He moved to her other breast and she arched into his mouth, "Arrow," dropping from her mouth in a shuddering breath. He paused at that and then suddenly returned to her mouth again, covering it with his. The velvet darkness enveloping her, she was acutely conscious of the loss of his hands on her, their absence explained when she felt the tip of his cock pressing against her entrance.

She groaned into his mouth and bucked her hips, encouraging him. He seemed to hesitate, retracting a fraction away from her as he suddenly realized what he was about to do. She heard him curse under his breath before that deep voice filtered to her ears, "Do you have - "

She chuckled breathily, practically crying as she realized what they'd forgotten. "I'm on the pill. But if - " She gasped. Her intention was to tell him there were some in her bathroom, but he never gave her the chance. With aching slowness he slid into her, pausing when he was finally buried completely within her. She moaned as he stretched her, her hands drifting from his hair to his shoulders, and she could feel the tension rolling off of him as he controlled himself, forcing himself to stay still until she got accustomed to having him inside of her. She bucked her hips, letting him know she was okay, and then he was pulling out, nearly all the way before burying himself in her again, rubbing against her clit with each thrust, his mouth never leaving hers as his hands caressed and stroked her, lighting every nerve in her body with electricity until finally she couldn't take anymore and she found herself crashing over the edge, crying into his mouth, clutching his head to her, memorizing the feeling of his hair, the length of it, the thickness of it, the way it felt intertwined with her fingers. She let out a strangled sound as she felt him join her, spilling inside of her, and she threw her head back, arching against him wildly.

"Chloe," it was moaned, whispered close to her ear, so much so that the human voice sounded strangely separated from the distorted one, almost as if she could distinguish between the two. She shivered, trying to catch her breath and letting out a small sob of loss when he pulled out of her. She fought to keep her eyes shut as silence except for the sound of their breathing surrounded them.

"The curtains," she muttered, trying to collect herself. She felt his body freeze in confusion. "Shut them," she breathed.

After another moment she felt the bed shift at the lifting of his weight and a second later she heard him pull the curtains closed.

She sighed audibly in relief, allowing her eyes to flutter open now that temptation had been removed. Her curtains were dark enough that even when her eyes adjusted, she'd only just be able to make out a dark silhouette of him. He seemed to understand this, because when she turned to look for him, he hadn't lifted the hood up again, but instead she could hear the sound of a zipper, and she realized he was removing the vest altogether. He walked back over to the bed and threw the covers back partway before climbing in and dragging her over to him, drawing her into his lap and cradling her to him.

Chloe buried her face in his neck and breathed in his scent, cherishing the opportunity and memorizing everything she could about him. His smell was mingled with leather and sweat but there was the vaguest trace of cologne, probably put on early in the day and long since faded. She sighed, trailing a hand up his chest, feeling the fabric of body armor still covering him. She traced his muscles through the thin fabric, savoring the closeness. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up and pressed a kiss to his jaw.

"So what's with the suitcase?" he asked, the question startling her.

"What?" she frowned, confused. Then she realized that he could still see her room with the night vision, which meant he'd noticed her suitcase for that weekend sitting on the chair in the corner. "Oh, right," she let out a chuckle. "I'm going out of town for four days with my cousin. Vacation." She paused, smiling. "So it's probably a good time to mention: no, I'm _not_ intentionally avoiding you."

She felt his chest vibrate as he chuckled. "Noted."

They fell into silence again and it wasn't long before Oliver felt sleep claim Chloe, her body sinking more relaxedly into his as he stroked her hair. He pulled the sheet up over her and continued to hold her, not ready to leave her yet, knowing he couldn't stay. "Chloe?" he muttered quietly, making sure she was definitely asleep. Hesitating for a moment, he reached up and switched off his distorter. "Chloe, just for the record, I didn't come here to seduce you or something - " he paused smirking, "not that this was a downside, or anything." Then he paused again, unsure of himself. "I just...needed to talk to you. Something...happened today. It was bad. Thousands of people are out of a job and there was nothing I could do about it. I'm supposed to be the one in control. Why couldn't I find a way out of it? There should have been something I could have done. Some way I could have stopped it." He clutched her more tightly, restraining himself as best he could so he didn't wake her. "I should have been able to stop it."

She stirred in his arms slightly, and he thought at first he'd woken her. He had, nearly. Chloe tilted her head up groggily, eyes still closed, her mind clouded with sleep, and she muttered sleepily, something he couldn't quite hear.

He grinned. "What?" he prompted her to repeat herself.

"Can't save everyone," she repeated her sentiments from earlier in the evening and he sighed. Even when she was out like a light, she still knew what to say, apparently. He chuckled and leaned down to place a whisper of a kiss against her lips.

* * *

Chloe woke to the beginning's of sunlight streaming onto her face and the sound of her phone going off. She groaned burying her face in the pillow before suddenly she gasped, her body rocketing up in bed like a pop-tart.

"Oh, God! Lois!" She flew across her room, looking around frantically for her purse and pulling her cell phone out of it when she finally located it.

"_Chloe! What the hell are you doing in there? I've been knocking for fifteen minutes!"_

"I'm so sorry, Lo," Chloe said, rushing about her room and throwing on clothes as she clutched the phone between her ear and her shoulder. "I...forgot to set my alarm last night." She rolled her eyes. It was true enough. She felt her face flush and her whole body grow suddenly warm as she glanced at the bed and remembered in vivid detail everything that had happened the night before. She felt the slightest pang at the fact that he wasn't there when she woke up, but she'd more or less been anticipating that. Logically, it made sense. Emotionally, it was a little more difficult to convince herself.

"_How the hell did you forget to turn on your alarm?" _Lois demanded.

"Look, never mind that Lois. The point is, I'll be out in five and we can get going, okay? Great. I'll be out in a few."

She hung up and went to finish buttoning her blouse in front of the mirror. She rolled her eyes a second time at the sight of her disheveled hair. _Fantastic. I look completely sexed up._ She snatched a brush and started frantically running it through her hair, trying to tell herself not to get turned on just because she looked more or less like she felt: ravished.

She grabbed a jacket and her keys before slipping on a pair of pumps. Then, thanking God she had had the foresight to pack before the birthday party the previous night, she grabbed her suitcase and rolled it toward the front door, swinging it open to find an unamused looking Lois tapping her foot. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it, a confused look passing over her face. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Chloe and said simply, "Well, cab's downstairs and the meter's running."

Chloe nodded. "Great. Let's go. You excited?" she asked, grinning as they headed for the elevator.

Lois flushed slightly. "Maybe."

Chloe snorted. "Well, probably not as excited as he is, anyway." She paused. "Please tell me we have time to stop for coffee when we get to the airport."

The elevator door's slid shut.

* * *

Oliver's mind was not on his work. It was very much on a certain blonde who did absolutely nothing for his ability to concentrate.

He tapped his pencil idly on his desk, making a valiant effort to focus on the document he was supposed to be reading.

He wished she weren't going out of town. He wanted to see her again. Soon. He wondered how she would feel about the strange twist their relationship had taken the previous night...about the fact that he had taken her, more specifically. He closed his eyes, groaning slightly as he relived it all. His lower regions twitched in need. He rolled his eyes at himself. He was acting like a teenager who'd just had sex for the first time.

Maybe it was good that she would be out of town for a few days, he decided, his face turning to a dry expression. That way she wouldn't think he was trying to use her as a sex doll.

"Mr. Queen?" his secretary's voice buzzed over the intercom.

"Yes, Marcy?"

"The gentleman from New York just called. He said he's extremely sorry but he's had some personal problems come up and can't make it in for the meeting tomorrow. What would you like me to tell him?"

Oliver sighed quietly. "Tell him I understand completely, and - " he rubbed a hand over his eyes, "Try to reschedule him as soon as possible."

"No problem, Mr. Queen."

"And Marcy?"

"Yes, Mr. Queen?"

"Be sure you mention that I hope everything's all right."

"Of course, Mr. Queen."

He was left in silence then, debating the possibilities. He turned to his computer and pulled up his calendar, skimming over tomorrow's date. There was a gala in Gotham hosted by the police force to raise funds for some charity or other. He'd been intending to miss it in favor of the meeting with a potentially invaluable client, but now... He glanced over anything else he had going on that Saturday. The list was slim, and all easily rescheduled.

_Well_, he thought, leaning back in his seat, _maybe getting out of town for a day will help me get my mind off of her for a bit._

He headed for the door of his office and poked his head outside. He waited for Marcy to finish the last of her pleasantries.

"Yes, sir. Of course. December 1st it is. And it's not a problem at all. Mr. Queen said for me to tell you he sincerely hopes everything is all right with you." She paused. "Of course. I'll tell him. Congratulations, sir."

She hung up the phone and turned to look at Oliver, having sensed his presence. "He said his wife is in labor. That's why he can't make it."

Oliver grinned. "Boy or girl?"

"Boy."

"Have some flowers and a box of cigars sent over or something like that, will you?"

She nodded, jotting down a note for herself.

"And Marcy?"

"Yes, Mr. Queen?"

"Call up the Gordons and let them know I'll be able to make the gala tomorrow night after all. Schedule my pilot for tomorrow morning to take me in, too, please. Thanks, Marcy." He started to head inside before adding as an afterthought, "And get me Bruce Wayne's number, will you?"

* * *

Lois Lane was not a woman who easily bit her tongue. As a matter of fact, quite to the contrary, her brash ability to say exactly what was on her mind whenever she wanted was arguably part of her charm.

So it was an entirely unprecedented matter for Lois to be found sitting beside her cousin on an airplane, drumming her fingers impatiently as she used every ounce of self-control she had to stop herself from saying what she wanted to say.

Chloe, who had been reading the morning paper, but couldn't quite focus for more reasons than her fidgeting cousin, finally had had enough. "What on earth is wrong with you?" she hissed.

This, Lois felt, was really too much. "Are you kidding?" she asked loudly. "You had sex last night! Admit it!"

Chloe's eyes widened and her face turned red as the elderly couple across the aisle turned to stare at them in shock. She rubbed her face wearily. "Lois, would you please not shout things like that in public areas? And where on earth would you get that idea?"

Lois huffed. "You weren't going to tell me. This is unbelievable. And I'll shout whatever I want. You had - "

"Lo!"

Lois lowered her voice accusingly, "You had sex last night and we both know it. Your _glow_ has glow."

Chloe momentarily entertained the possibility of skydiving. "I don't know what you're talking about," she insisted, embarrassed.

"Seriously, Chloe? This is me you're talking to."

Their eyes met defiantly for a good minute in a staring contest.

Chloe broke first. "Okay, okay."

Lois barely contained a high pitched squeal. "Oh my god, _who?_ I didn't even know there _was_ someone!"

"There's not!" Chloe hesitated at her own outburst. "Well, I mean, there kind of is but it's..._complicated_." She sighed. That was one word for it. There was also 'insane,' 'convoluted'..._'sextastic.'_ She smirked.

"I don't get it. Okay, start at the beginning. It's a long plane trip." She squirmed in her seat, getting comfortable, before looking at Chloe expectantly. "Okay, go."

Chloe rolled her eyes.

"What?" she defended herself. "Come on, who is he? How did you meet?"

She closed her eyes. If only Lois realized how complicated those questions were. But then she reminded herself that this was Lois. She was family. Chloe and Lois told each other everything. Lois might embarrass her a bit, but considering how many secrets she kept from Lois to protect other people...Well, it was only right that in a situation where she actually _could_ confide in Lois, that she did so. And she did trust Lois. She started slowly, with a preemptive warning. "Okay, before I tell you anything, you have to understand that this stays between us. _No one_ can know. Especially at work. Got it?"

Lois frowned, wondering why it was such a secret. Then her eyes got wide and she looked horrified. "Oh my God, did you sleep with the Chief? Ew, cuz, that's - "

"Lois for the love of God, keep your voice down. And _no,_ I didn't sleep with Perry. Are you insane?"

"Oh thank goodness." She clutched her heart as if she'd had a real scare. "But yeah, sure. I promise."

"I'm serious, Lo. _No one_ can know."

"Yeah I got it and I'm on the edge of my seat here, so spill already!"

"Okay...you know that guy I've been texting?"

"Cyber-Dude? _Him?_ Holy sh - wait, why is that a secret? I mean, what, is he Oliver Queen or something?"

Chloe looked at the ceiling for help. "Would you let me talk?"

Lois made a show of covering her mouth with her hand before gesturing for her to continue.

"Okay, so I misled you a tiny bit when I let you think I hadn't met him in person. I just said I didn't know his real name?" She looked at Lois to make sure she was following. Lois looked confused but nodded. "Right, well...I had met him before. Offline, I mean. And Lois, so help me, if you blurt something out to this entire cabin, I will _hurt _you. Okay?"

"Just _tell _me already," Lois whined.

Chloe could feel herself blushing right up to the roots of her hair. "Well, I was telling the truth when I said I didn't actually know his name. Because..." she lowered her voice carefully, making sure no one on the plane was listening in, "He's the Green Arrow."

For once in her life Lois didn't shout something dramatic in response. Instead she sat there with her mouth hanging open, eyes wide with shock. Then, finally, deadpanned: "What?"

"Don't make me say it again," Chloe groaned.

"You've been _chatting online_ with the Green Arrow?" Lois hissed under her breath. "Have you got any idea how weirdly, insanely _cool_ that is?" Then her eyes widened again. "Holy crap, _that's_ who you got dirty with last night? _HIM?_"

Chloe nodded once, eyes closed.

"OHMYGOD!" she managed to whisper and shout at the same time. "Oh my God...wait...how exactly did he manage to - "

"It was very dark."

Lois stared. "Oh my gosh, that's so hot. And...kinky. And _hot_. Jeez, you're not kidding about waiting for the right guy. You bagged a superhero? Holy crap." She shook her head. "Wow. And he's really hot, too. I mean, personally, if I was going to date a superhero, I'd go for Supes, but the archer's a close second or third."

Chloe raised an eyebrow and opened one eye to look at Lois in amusement. "Just out of sheer curiosity, since we're going to Gotham and all, where does Batman fall on that list?"

Lois shrugged. "Enh...probably tied with Green Bean. He's got the whole dark and mysterious thing going for him, but the bat ears aren't much of a turn on."

Chloe bit back a snicker.

"But can we just focus for a second on you," Lois demanded. "I mean...this is not one of our hypothetical situations. 'Which superhero would you date?' You actually _did_ it! I mean...how exactly does this work?"

Chloe sighed. "I have no idea. At first it was just talking. And then I helped him get some information a couple of times and the next thing I knew we were making out...and things kind of escalated."

Lois snickered. "I'll say. So how was he?"

"Lois!" Chloe said, shocked.

"Oh don't gimme that. Come on, I'm being so good here. I'm not even demanding details. But you gotta give me something. Like, scale of one to ten or something."

Chloe groaned. "Eleven."

Lois squealed. "Jeez, finally. You earned it. So what happens now? I mean...you guys can't exactly date. Unless...do you think he's going to tell you who he is?"

Chloe opened her mouth and closed it again. "I'm...not sure, exactly."

"Exactly?"

"Well, I mean, I don't think he's going to tell me who he is, no. But that's for safety reasons. The less I know, the less likely I am to get into trouble. It protects both of us. And...well, I mean, I get that. I want to know like crazy. You know me; I can't stand not knowing, but..." she trailed off.

"You respect his right to protect his secret," Lois resigned herself moodily.

"Do you think I'm being stupid?"

"Simultaneously yes and no."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I think it's stupid for you to be in this situation at all, but I don't think it's stupid for him to want to keep you safe. And I don't think it's stupid that you fell for a guy in a mask. I mean, I'm the one harboring a major crush on Superman. I definitely can't judge." She shrugged. "And anyway, as long as this guy's making you happy, then I'm good. I'm just worried because, well..." she couldn't seem to make herself say it, eying Chloe in concern.

"Because how long can something like this really go on?" Chloe finished for her, her heart clenching. "Eventually he either has to tell me who he is or we have to stop. Because I can't go on dates with him or introduce him to people or...well, anything."

"Yeah, but in the meantime, at least the sex is an eleven," Lois teased.

Chloe blushed furiously.


	9. Chapter 9

_Tell me why we're all gluttons for pain.  
The girl is totally insane.  
She doesn't know the meaning of tame;  
Still I can't put out the flame._

Diggin' Your Scene  
Smashmouth

-9-

**From: emeraldarch... Subject: (none)**

It was the first full day in Gotham, and Chloe hadn't heard from the Green Arrow since seeing him in person. She held her breath as her mouse hovered over the e-mail, working up the nerve to open it.

Finally, with no little internal effort, she opened it.

_Sidekick,_

_I'm so sorry I couldn't be there when you woke up the other morning. You can't imagine how much I wanted to be. If it's any comfort, just know I've been thinking about you ALL day. ...and all last night, too._

_I hope you enjoy your trip this weekend, and I really hope I hear from you. We definitely have things to talk about._

_Can't wait until I see you again,_

_Arrow_

Chloe jumped at the sound of the lock on the hotel door clicking, signaling Lois's entrance.

"Hey, Lo. How was lunch?"

Lois smiled dreamily. "I think I'm going to kidnap Bruce's butler."

Chloe laughed. "O-kay?"

Lois waved a dismissive hand. "We had lunch at his _mansion_ - which was completely weird for me, by the way - and his _butler_ - also weird - made us lunch and it was the most delicious thing ever. I never knew I liked tea until I had his tea. I think it might almost be better than coffee."

Chloe gave her a shocked look.

"Almost," she emphasized, and Chloe glanced back at her computer, mollified. She was about to log out when the fact that her computer was open caught Lois's attention. "Oh my gosh, is that him? Have you been talking to him while I was out? What'd he say?"

Chloe smiled glancing at his message, before looking up at Lois. "What?" she asked blankly, not having heard.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Maybe if I put on green leather that would help hold your attention."

Chloe smirked. "It couldn't hurt anything."

"I asked what he had to say," she repeated, glancing at the back of the computer suspiciously.

Chloe flushed. "That he can't wait to see me again."

"Oh brother," Lois rolled her eyes, but even Chloe caught the amusement there. "I'll bet he can't. He just wants to get you naked again. Anything else?"

"Nothing important. Just...I don't know; the usual flirting." She closed the screen hurriedly to remove it from Lois's probing eyes.

She huffed. "Fine. Be that way. Anyway, we need to get going. We need dresses."

"I beg your pardon?" Chloe deadpanned.

"Policeman's Ball Fundraiser Thing," she said by way of explanation.

"Aw, Lo," Chloe whined. "Are you serious?"

She nodded.

"Couldn't you have mentioned this before we left Metropolis? I've got at least three perfectly good dresses at home."

She shrugged embarrassedly. "I didn't know? Oh come on, Bruce is buying." She waggled her eyebrows.

"No. No way am I taking handouts from _your_ boyfriend."

"It's not a handout," Lois said, handing Chloe her purse. "It's a gift. Learn the difference. And anyway we haven't got a choice, so move it or lose it, cuz," she announced, heading back for the apartment door.

Chloe watched her go, debating her options. Then she sighed and followed after. If Bruce insisted on paying for the dresses, which he probably would, seeing as it was all his fault for not telling them they needed formal wear, then she would just have to be frugal.

* * *

Oliver swirled the drink in his glass glumly. It had been an interesting dilemma, one that had never occurred to him until that morning when he was packing a small bag for an overnight in Gotham. He was currently dateless at the Police Commissioner's fundraiser for multiple reasons. First it had been a last minute decision to go at all, and second, it had suddenly occurred to him that for Oliver Queen to bring a date to a function would be strangely unfair to Chloe. It was a somewhat bizarre predicament. On the one hand, Chloe didn't even know it was him, so for him to have a date wouldn't hurt her any, at least as long as she didn't know, that is. But he would still feel like a heel for it. And on the other hand, if she _did_ know, there was a distinct possibility she _would_ be hurt. He knew that he for one didn't like the idea of her going out with other men, especially after the other night.

This was bad. That was all there was to it. How on earth had he gotten into this situation? More importantly, how had he gotten _Chloe_ into this situation?

_Since when does the Green Arrow have a personal life?_ he chided himself. _Of all the stupid things to run off and do...it was bad enough to kiss her...that was one thing...but sleeping with her? Have you completely lost your mind? _He rolled his eyes at himself. How idiotic. How utterly stupid. To get himself involved in a situation that couldn't possibly do anything but blow up in his face...and to bring Chloe down with him. What had he been thinking? Part of him knew that he should put serious consideration into ending it for both their sakes. The other part of him selfishly and stubbornly blanched at the very idea of not being able to see or talk to Chloe any more. She'd become the best part of his day, and the idea of not being able to touch her again? It was borderline frightening to him. He was in way over his head.

There was only one thing for it. He was going to have to tell her who he was and pray for the best.

"What's with the sour puss, Queen? Your drink do something to offend you?" a familiar voice asked.

Oliver looked up and grinned. "Bruce Wayne. Long time, no see. Didn't get a chance to talk to you much when you were in Metropolis. How are you?" He shook hands with his old friend.

Bruce shrugged. "Doing well. At least, as well as I'm ever doing," he raised a meaningful eyebrow at Oliver who nodded his understanding.

"As well as any of us are ever doing," he added with a shrewd smile. "You here with anyone?" he added, glancing around for a sign of Bruce's date.

Bruce nodded, grinning. "She's on the other side of her room talking to her cousin about something under the pretense of getting drinks."

Oliver, who had been taking a sip of his drink, choked on it a little.

Bruce quirked a brow at him. "You okay?"

Oliver stared at him. "Did you say her _cousin?_" No. There was no way. It wasn't possible. It would be too big of a coincidence.

"Yeah she brought her cousin with her on the visit. Something about needing more 'cousin time.' You know women. Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't get back to the message you left about drinks tonight, but if you don't mind a little extra company, then I'd be up for it." He grinned. "If it helps any, her cousin is pretty cute, and single from what I understand."

Oliver forced himself to answer, though his throat was suddenly quite dry at the impossible coincidence. "What did you say their names were?"

"Lois Lane and Chloe Sullivan. Here, I think they're coming over now. I'll introduce you." He paused, adding as an afterthought. "And I think this should go without saying, but it's you, so...yeah, be nice. I happen to like this one, and her cousin's a really good kid. Do anything stupid and I'll be forced to strangle you and make it look like an accident." He clapped him on a back, saying this with a smile and in a cheerful tone as Lois and Chloe approached them, fresh drinks in hand, as if Oliver's very thoughts had conjured them out of thin air.

...and what a conjuring it was. He could feel his entire throat go dry as he took her in...as he took in the dress she was wearing. Normally he would have felt smug at seeing her wearing green, given the circumstances, but there wasn't room for smugness in his body. There wasn't room for much coherent thought other than, "Damn."

She was a goddess. A goddess in green silk. Creamy skin exposed, the fabric sliding against her body in a scintillating fashion that had him aching to touch her, to hold her like he had the other night. To kiss her, to run his hands over her. To do wonderfully unnameable things to her. To hear her cry out his name, his real name.

"Lois," Bruce said, tugging the brunette to his side. "I'd like you to meet Oliver Queen, an old friend of mine. Oliver, this is Lois Lane and her cousin Chloe Sullivan."

"We've met," Chloe said, sounding less than enthused.

And that was when he felt his heart sink into his stomach, libido almost entirely forgotten in the moment of sudden wretchedness. Here he was planning to tell her his real identity, and he'd forgotten one very important detail: Chloe _hated_ Oliver Queen. Well, perhaps 'hate' was a strong word. But she certainly regarded him with unreasonable contempt. Shaking these bleak thoughts away, he plastered on a friendly grin. "How could I ever forget?" he teased. "It's a pleasure, Miss Sullivan."

She barely met his eyes as Lois interjected. "You two have met?" she asked curiously, looking at Chloe in surprise.

"At one of Senator Kent's fundraisers," Oliver supplied, smirking. "It was..._memorable_," he settled on the word, enjoying Chloe's obvious discomfort in spite of himself.

Bruce quirked an eyebrow, his mouth thinning. Lois, meanwhile, looked confused. "Wait, where was I?"

Chloe lifted a shoulder, letting it drop again in a graceful movement. Oliver noticed she was determinedly looking anywhere but at him, her cheeks slightly flushed. "You were off somewhere with Bruce, I think." She looked as if she was hoping someone would change the subject, but Oliver simply continued smirking, unwilling to do anything to help her.

Bruce jumped in, now a little uncertain of himself as he said, "I hope you don't mind, but since Oliver was in town, I've invited him to join us for drinks at the manor after the evening is over."

Lois, who looked thoroughly amused, smirked evilly. "Oh, we don't mind at all. I think that sounds perfect. Now we're an even number," she glanced at Chloe, raising a meaningful eyebrow at her cousin.

Chloe pretended not to notice, but seemed resigned that she was going to have to be polite. So she simply sipped her drink.

Chloe was mortified. She'd felt guilty for days after first meeting Oliver at Mrs. Kent's function, but she'd consoled herself with the fact that it was unlikely she'd ever encounter him again. Now here she was forced to spend an evening with him. Lois would undoubtedly try to play matchmaker, in spite of the fact that she knew Chloe was...well, for lack of a better word, _involved_ with someone.

She was terribly embarrassed about the way she'd behaved herself that first meeting. He'd caught her at a bad moment. Yes, she tended to be a bit cynical about the crowd that politics attracted, and Mr. Douglas had put her in a mood of disapproval. But it had been no excuse to be so horribly judgmental towards him. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him properly.

In her mind it was only too certain that he detested her, thinking her a closed-minded snob, and when she got a glimpse of him smirking at her, she imagined with utmost conviction that he was mocking her, that he was enjoying holding over her head what an insufferable little fool she was.

Of course, he _was_ enjoying himself, but not for any of the reasons she imagined. And it absolutely did not occur to her that more than anything, he was just enjoying the way she looked in the dress Lois had forced on her.

So with all of her imaginings swirling about in her head, it was really no wonder that Chloe very nearly got the worst shock of her life at Oliver's next statement.

"Would you like to dance?"

She blinked, convinced he wasn't talking to her and that another woman must be standing nearby.

He chuckled when she looked around as if expecting to see someone else, and he leaned forward, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes at her surprise. Unconsciously, she retreated a step, caught off guard by his proximity.

Her mouth opened but very little actually came out. "I - well..." she glanced away from him nervously, trying to regain her countenance. This was ridiculous. Yes, she was embarrassed, but there was no reason she couldn't start fresh, right? _Right_, she told herself.

He appeared amused by her failure to properly respond. "I'll take your lack of protest as a yes, then?" he asked, and she wished the floor would swallow her whole. There was no starting fresh, not with that...that..._tall person. _She momentarily wondered if she was forever cursed to be surrounded by giants. Between Lois, Clark, Bruce, and now Oliver Queen, she felt positively dwarfish.

By the time these thoughts had concluded, Chloe was suddenly aware of the fact that he had managed to swindle her out onto the dance floor, and he was placing a hand around her waist. She jolted in surprise, her face flushing at the feeling of his warm hand on her lower back, skin against skin, evoking images of the previous night when the Green Arrow's leather-gloved hand had slipped around her back to raise her hips a little higher and -

_Stop right there, Sullivan,_ she informed herself. _The last thing you need to be doing is standing here, dancing with Oliver Queen and thinking about having sex with another man. Oh god, I wonder if he can tell I'm thinking about sex. Oh...hell..._

She closed her eyes in horror, wondering what he must think of her.

"Are you all right?"

She started slightly. "What?" she forced herself to meet his eyes, trying not to think about how horribly attractive he was. _Just look at his eyes. Just look at his eyes. Just look at his eyes._

He raised an eyebrow. "I can't make up my mind if you're miserable just being here, or if you're miserable just being with me," he joked, and for a second time she wished the ground would swallow her whole.

She looked down at her feet, wishing for the life of her that she could just stop blushing. "I'm so sorry, I'm just...God, I'm just constantly rude to you, aren't I?" she looked up at him helplessly.

He chuckled, "Well, I'm glad it's not just my imagination." He paused, smiling ironically at his own statement. "...I think."

She laughed nervously. "I think I can safely blame you. You have a habit of catching me at all the wrong moments."

He quirked an eyebrow, "And here I thought running into you this evening was positively fortuitous."

She wanted to die. Why had he even asked her to dance? He obviously thought she was horrible. Why was this song taking so long to finish? Hadn't they been dancing to it for a painfully long time?

_This is punishment, isn't it? It's punishment for sleeping with a man whose name I don't even know. I wonder which sin that is...probably something related to lust. And now I'm doing penance with the worst kind of death possible: embarrassment._

"I've lost you again. I'm sorry I'm so boring apparently."

Her attention snapped back to the man whose arms she was resting so stiffly in, too nervous to relax in his hold for even a moment. "It's not you. I'm sorry; it's like I said, I'm just...distracted at the moment."

"Yeah, that's what I was asking about."

"Sorry?"

"I mean I asked what you were so distracted about and why apparently I've caught you at the wrong time."

"Oh," she said, still staring mostly at their feet, not wanting to look at his face for fear of being blinded by his smile, which was utterly unbearable. "I've just...um...you know what, let's talk about something other than me. Please?" she managed to shoot him a pleading look before averting her eyes again.

He looked at the ceiling briefly, seemingly asking for help. Then he managed to find some neutral ground. "How is Senator Kent's re-election campaign going?" he asked. "I haven't checked in with her lately."

"It's going really well," she said, eagerly seizing the friendly topic. "She's leading in the polls and the fundraisers for her campaign have all been successful, and...but I won't jinx it for her. But I think it's honestly going well."

He grinned broadly and she immediately looked away. _Damn smile. Damn attractive man. God, I shouldn't even be thinking about his being attractive. I'm practically seeing someone else. I think. Oh, God, my life has gotten weird._

"Well that's fantastic," Oliver said, and she caught herself being surprised at how genuine he sounded. _So much for not judging him_, she nearly rolled her eyes at herself. "I really like the Senator. I think she's done some wonderful things in office. I'd like to see her continue."

Chloe nodded, not sure what else to say on the matter.

By divine providence, the song finally ended, and Chloe drew back from his arms immediately, barely containing a sigh of relief that her torment was over.

She didn't catch the look of disappointment that flashed across Oliver's face, too busy thinking about how badly she needed another drink.

"Can I get you a drink?" he offered, and she nearly groaned. Hadn't he done his duty? He'd been polite to her in spite of the fact that she was incorrigibly rude to him. Did he have to persist in torturing her?

She shook her head. "I think I need a bit of air. I'm so sorry," she said, and with that, she slipped off into the crowd, desperate to get away.

Oliver frowned watching her go. Had he thought she regarded him with contempt? He was a fool. It was evident that he disgusted her, and for no apparent reason. She obviously thought him insufferable. She'd made it clear that she couldn't get away from him fast enough.

He rubbed his hand over his face. What exactly was it about him that she found so insufferable? He hadn't even _done_ anything to her.

He looked around the room and spotted Bruce and Lois dancing away happily, Lois resting her cheek against his shoulder, a dreamy look on her face, her eyes closed. He glanced at his watch.

_This is going to be a long night._


	10. Chapter 10

_And these are my dreams  
That I'd never lived before.  
Somebody shake me  
'Cause I, I must be sleeping._

So Far Away  
Staind

-10-

"So, Chloe, I've been following your work in the Daily Planet lately. I'm impressed," Bruce grinned at her.

They were seated in the parlor, Lois curled into Bruce's side, her now bare feet tucked under her. She looked especially nice in the red dress she'd chosen for the evening, Oliver decided, although, he couldn't help but prefer Chloe's color scheme, he added to himself as he once again glanced appreciatively over Chloe's choice of evening-wear. She caught him looking at her, and he quickly turned away, not wanting to provide her further opportunity to rebuff him.

Her eyebrow raised and her eyes briefly trained on Oliver, who quickly took a deep draught of his scotch, Chloe responded to Bruce's compliment. "Thanks, Bruce. I've just been really fortunate. Right place at the right time." She paused momentarily, and Oliver caught the sudden flush to her cheeks. "And I've had some help."

"Help?" Bruce asked while Oliver smirked in a self-satisfied manner.

"An anonymous source," Lois explained, with a tone as such that she might as well have been saying, "A scandalous bedfellow."

"Anonymous source?" Oliver asked, trying not to grin too obviously. "How interesting."

Chloe's face was turning scarlet, he noted with pleasure. "Isn't it?" she said through clenched teeth, shooting a warning glance at Lois. Oliver found he wasn't remotely bothered by the tightness in her voice. As much as being the direct cause of her discomfort for the majority of the evening bothered him, so much more did he enjoy the Green Arrow being the new cause.

* * *

"Oliver Queen likes you."

Chloe paused, her fork hanging in limbo as she forgot to bring the bite of pasta the rest of the way to her mouth, her attention diverted across the table to her clearly mental cousin. "Are you out of your ever-loving mind?" she deadpanned, unable to stop the words from spilling out.

They were enjoying a relaxed lunch together in a restaurant Bruce had recommended for them. The man himself was at a meeting with one of his department heads - a Lucius Fox. He'd said it was urgent and that this was a prime opportunity for Lois and Chloe to spend some of that "cousin time" Lois had been insisting on.

Lois rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her wine. "It was so obvious. Did you see him ogling you in that dress? I told you it looked amazing on you."

Chloe shook her head. "Lois, Oliver Queen is a man. He _might_ find me attractive. Maybe. But he can still appreciate my cleavage without actually having to like me. There's a difference."

"Yeah, but he did like you," Lois persisted. "And I don't see why you're so rude to him." she added, raising a questioning eyebrow at her cousin.

Chloe sighed. "Was it that bad?"

"And then some."

She put her fork back down on her plate, the bite slightly less appetizing all of a sudden. "I wasn't trying to be. He makes me get all flustered and I was so distracted with everything that happened with the Green Arrow that I just kept putting my foot in my mouth. It was ridiculous. Either way, I can tell you with absolute certainty that Oliver Queen does _not_ like me. I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm socially inept at best."

Lois snorted. "Right. Which is why he spent the entire evening at Bruce's trying to get you to look at him for more than two seconds put together. I gotta say, I kind of liked him. Any friend of Bruce's is okay with me, for one thing. And anyway, as much as I approve of you getting hot, steamy sex from Jolly Green - "

"For God's sake, Lois. This is the last time I'm asking you to stop talking so loudly about my sex life in public."

Lois just waved her fork at Chloe, chicken parmesan nearly flying off the end. "Don't interrupt. As much as I approve of _that development_ - Happy? - we both agreed that you couldn't possibly have a normal relationship with him. So I say keep an open mind."

Chloe just stared. And then she started laughing. "About Oliver Queen? Oh, Lois, you really have lost it. Look, even if, by some mad stretch of the imagination, Queen _does_ like me, that doesn't mean he wants to date me. And come on, have you seen the stunts he gets up to in the media? He doesn't exactly strike me as the relationship type. I'd almost go so far as to suggest that _any_ relationship I have with You-Know-Who would be more normal than one with Oliver Queen." She returned to her pasta with sudden vigor, stabbing at it and taking a large bite.

Lois snickered. "Okay, first of all, let's don't call him 'You-Know-Who.' I'll feel like we're talking about Voldemort. Second of all, you know better than to trust the media. You work for it. And anyway, look at Bruce. He pulls all kinds of crap - less now that I'm around, of course, but crap nonetheless. And he's a really great guy. Half the stuff in the papers are exaggerated and the other half is because he likes people to underestimate him as a businessman."

_No,_ Chloe argued internally, _the other half is because he parades around in Kevlar at night fighting crime. Oliver Queen has no such excuse_. Of course, she couldn't say that out loud, so instead she answered, "I guess I see your point. But not everyone's as great as Bruce."

Lois smiled. "Yeah."

Chloe snorted. Then her phone buzzed.

**emeraldarcher1** when will you be home in Metropolis?

She smiled, texting back her response while Lois watched from across the table with narrowed eyes.

* * *

**emeraldarcher1** DP 1 hour

Chloe stared at the text message for the millionth time and glanced at her watch. Any minute now. She'd been home from Gotham for less than a day, and to her surprise, instead of talking about the fact that they'd done the horizontal macarena together, he'd texted her about the fact that he had information for her on Lex Luthor. Something about how he thought the Planet might be interested.

Which was great, of course. It was part of their dynamic. They gave each other information on the bad guys essentially.

She shivered convulsively, unable to stand the cold any longer. With another glance at her watch she shook her head at herself and headed for the door. She let out a yelp of surprise when an arrow soared in front of her, blocking her path toward the door as it stuck in the wall firmly about a foot from her. She looked in the direction it had come from, glaring. Sure enough, there he was, walking over to her, his expression unreadable in the shadows. When he spoke, though, even the voice distorter couldn't hide the amusement in his voice.

"Tired of waiting on me already? My watch must be slow. I thought I was early."

She continued glaring. "You could have hit me, you neanderthal. And I wasn't leaving. I was just going to wait inside. It's cold and I forgot my jacket."

He smirked, wrapping an arm around her waist and dragging her over to him, and she fought a smile as he did so. "Like I would hit you," he teased. "Oh ye of little faith. I never miss." He leaned down and kissed her gently and she sighed into his mouth, her eyes sliding shut, irritation melting away.

"I missed you," she muttered against his lips.

"I missed your mouth," he teased. "And other parts of you. But mostly your mouth."

She shoved him back playfully, rolling her eyes, smiling anyway, but he didn't quite loosen his grip on her waist. "So you said you had information for an article?" she asked by way of salvaging what little professionalism she had left.

She caught the sudden grimness in his demeanor as he nodded, releasing her hips to reach a finger into the inside of his left glove and pull out a flash drive. "There's video footage," he said simply, handing it to her.

She took it, feeling strangely nervous about the contents of the tiny piece of plastic. "Of what?"

"Of what he's been up to. That mental illness research facility?" He paused, and she barely suppressed a shudder at the anger rolling off of him. "Not so much."

She swallowed tightly. "I'll look into it. Thanks."

He nodded shortly.

She raised an eyebrow at his evident tension. "It's bad, isn't it?"

"Very."

She opened her mouth to say something, although she wasn't sure what, so she closed it again. She was aware of a vague sense of disappointment, although she would have dies before admitting it to herself. _Curse you, Lex Luthor,_ she thought humorlessly, _Getting in the way of my sex life._ She sighed, resigning herself to another long night at the Planet. "Well," she said, slipping the flash-drive into her purse. "I'd better go, then."

His bad mood seemed to lift almost immediately as he stopped her. "So soon?" he teased, leaning down to capture her lips again, as if he couldn't imagine what would make her dream of leaving already. She smirked against his mouth, hands sliding around his neck behind the hood. "Why? You got a better suggestion?" she mocked him, then let out a squeal of delighted shock when he pushed her against the wall and gripped her hips a little tighter. He silenced her effectively as his tongue forced entrance to her mouth, and she moaned, eyes sliding closed. His thumbs were rubbing back and forth over her hips, and she could feel that familiar ache beginning to grow between her thighs. She was planning to make some suggestion that he meet her at her apartment - as soon as she could figure out a way to say it that didn't sound absolutely ridiculous. But the thought process was banished from her mind when she felt his hand graze her breast through her sweater, and she suddenly realized that apparently he didn't see anything wrong with exactly where they were. She pressed her breast further into his hand, encouraging him to continue. She bucked her hips forward, pressing against his hardening bulge and he groaned, the hand still on her hip squeezing just tight enough to hurt.

"Chloe," he breathed, and she shuddered. There it was again, that distinct sound that she could almost separate from the distortion, but not quite. "God, Sidekick," he groaned, involuntarily grinding against her. "All weekend I've felt like you were just out of my reach. I wanted you," he whispered in her ear, brushing his lips against the shell of it.

Chloe gasped, head falling back as her thighs quivered in need. "I'm here," She breathed. "I'm here."

His hands released her and she whimpered, leaning against the cold, course brick behind her, feeling his lips brush over her throat, his body lowering in front her. Her breathing quickened as his hands shoved her skirt up, and she felt the cold air hit her bare thighs. She flattened her palms against the brick wall as if looking for purchase, eyes shutting in anticipation. And then, to her shock, his mouth closed over her through the lace of her already wet panties. She gasped loudly, the heat from his mouth soaking through to her core, his hot breath delicious on her folds. She whined in the back of her throat, thrusting against his mouth. He curled his hands around the backs of her thighs, spreading them further for him and she groaned at the feel of the leather, wondering what his bare hands would feel like on her, more than just the exposed finger tips brushing so close to her panty-line.

"More," she pleaded. "Please."

His tongue licked her all the way along her slit through the lace and she cried out again, a low, strangled whine that grew into the makings of a scream. And then, suddenly, she felt him drawing her panties off and standing up and freeing his cock. She was so busy trying to catch her breath that she wasn't prepared for him to wrench her up, forcing her thighs to wrap around his waist as he sunk into her. She bit his shoulder, trembling as he filled her, rolling her hips against him, her clit rubbing against him as he thrust into her, pressing her hard into the wall for support. She was vaguely aware of the bruises and even scrapes she was likely to have from that brick come the next morning, but she was also firmly convinced it would be well worth it. He sank into her repeatedly until she could feel her climax growing, the tip of his cock rubbing against her G-spot, her swollen clit grinding against him with each thrust. She clung to him, nails digging into the leather, whimpering in need every time he pulled out of her, only to sink back in again. Finally she released a scream, coming around him, body tensing in his arms and then slackening, his own release following within seconds.

They stood - or rather he stood, and she hung in midair, legs still wrapped tightly around him, pressed between the hard wall and his hard body - in silence, both gasping for breath, the cold autumn air welcome around them as he held her there, not pulling out of her for ages after they both came down from their orgasms.

He rained kisses over her face and hair, clutching her to him, his chest rising and falling as heavily as hers. Then, finally, as both of their breathing calmed, he pulled out of her and gently set her down, helping her slide down the wall and setting her properly on her feet. He redid his pants and she pulled her skirt back down, although there was no helping the fact that it was considerably wrinkled at the moment. She leaned against the wall for support, her legs feeling a bit like jell-o, and he leaned his hands on either side of her face, swooping down to kiss her lingeringly. His mouth departed from her lips after a moment, ghosting up her jawline toward her ear. "Next time I'm taking my time with you," he promised darkly, and she shuddered.

"Next time?" she questioned, not much room in her mind for fully coherent thoughts at the moment.

He paused. "Tomorrow?"

She chuckled breathily, dropping her face into his neck and inhaling deeply. "At risk of sounding over-eager: Whenever you want."

He smirked, kissing the top of her head smugly.

* * *

Chloe yawned, folding her arms across her desk and putting her head down on them.

Clark raised an eyebrow. "You know, it is possible to write an article at a normal time of day," he suggested, saying a quick thank you as someone handed him a stack of photos. "You're not nocturnal."

Chloe chuckled into the darkness her arms created. "_I'm _not."

He frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing," she sighed, pushing herself back up. "I guess I just keep getting information at the wrong time of night, and I can never bring myself to put off the article until morning, not when it's something like Lex Luthor experimenting on the meteor-infected."

Clark's expression turned grim as he glanced at that morning's headlines. "But you weren't able to connect it to him?" he asked resignedly, skimming the article.

She shook her head, sparing a withering glance at the headline as well. "He covers his tracks well. He wasn't on any of the video footage I had. There were no papers with his signature, at least not that I could find. Unfortunately, all I could viably put in print was that the doctors at his research facility went rogue. But he can't hide forever. Lex has been inconspicuously opening up facilities for various projects all over the country for over a month. I'm willing to bet that 90% of them have the same aims as this one." She reached for her empty thermos and stood from her desk heading for the copy room and where the coffee was brewing. "As soon as I manage to prove it, it's going to be painfully obvious that he's behind it all. He can't claim that _everyone_ he's _ever_ hired has gone rogue."

"Chloe," Clark said warily, following her until she reached the coffee pot, his voice full of concern. "You can't take Lex Luthor on all on your own."

"I'm not on my own," she said without thinking. She glanced at the surprised expression on Clark's face as she poured coffee into her thermos, filling it to the brim. "I mean," she covered quickly, "I've got _you_," she said meaningfully. After all, he was Superman. "And Lois, and pretty much the entire city of Metropolis. We're all just waiting for the day we can finally expose Luthor for the scum he is."

Clark shook his head, disapproving. "Maybe so, Chloe, but I don't think it's wise to deliberately go after him. We both know the kind of trouble it can cause. Not to mention the danger for you," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders to stop her from brushing past him. "Chloe, I'm worried for you. Promise me you'll be careful and you'll back off for a little while."

Chloe scoffed, unsuccessfully trying to squirm out of his grip. "Clark, you know how I feel about it. This is the whole _point_ of journalism, to bring down people like Lex. To expose the truth, regardless of danger to myself. I'm always careful, but I'm not going to be cowardly."

He sighed, letting her go. "If you say so. Just remember - "

"To call you if I need you. I will," she smiled warmly at him.

As they were returning to their desks, Lois swept in, pulling off her coat and tossing it to Clark, who caught it in surprise. "Morning, Smallville," she greeted, sending him a rare but brief smile as she sank into her chair. "Hey, cuz," she beamed, looking positively like the cat that swallowed the canary. "Tell me how wonderful I am," she said, grinning up at her.

Clark raised an eyebrow, watching Lois curiously. He had that sinking, the-Sullivan-Lane-women-are-going-to-get-into-trouble feeling.

Chloe smiled, sipping stifling a yawn and taking a sip of her coffee. "You're oh-so-wonderful, Lo," she teased. "Why am I being asked to flatter you?"

Lois leaned forward, glint in her eye. "Because _we_ have a story."

Chloe's eyebrows disappeared. "Oh?"

"Yep," she said, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hands. "And you're gonna love me for it."

"Oh?" she repeated.

"Yep." She smirked.

Chloe rolled her eyes, laughing. "Well, come on, Lo, what's it about?" she asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"I'll tell you over lunch," Lois said. "Grab your stuff." She rose again, looking for her coat. She spotted it still hanging from Clark's hands. She chuckled, shaking her head as she took it from him. "You make a good coat-rack, Smallville," she teased him, winking as she slipped it back on. She looked over at Chloe, who hadn't made a move for her things yet. "Well come on," she encouraged. "We're not getting any younger."

With which remark she headed back towards the door, expecting Chloe to follow. Chloe slipped on her own jacket, eyeing Clark in amusement. "You know," she said, eyes dancing, "you really shouldn't let her do that."

He rolled his eyes, snapping back to reality and shoving her shoulder gently. "Just go," he said.

"Bye Clark," she laughed affectionately as she took off after her cousin.

Outside, Lois, grabbed Chloe's arm to encourage her to pick up the pace.

"What's the rush?" Chloe asked confusedly, doing her best to keep up.

"We're meeting someone."

"We are?"

"Yeah. So, I went in to get my hair done this morning - "

"It looks nice, by the way. Did you go a shade darker?"

Lois grinned. "Yeah, actually. Thanks. Anyway, I went in and you'll never guess who else was there." She looked at Chloe excitedly, apparently actually expecting her to guess.

Chloe sighed, looking skyward for answers. "I don't know...The Joker."

Lois glanced at her grimly. "Not funny. And no. It was the mayor's personal assistant, Laura."

Chloe's eyes widened. "You're kidding me!"

Lois shook her head. "Yeah, I wouldn't have realized it was her, except that she mentioned her scuzzy boss, and I remember what you said about the mayor's personal assistant, so I slipped the shampoo girl a five-er to give me her name and it turns out it was her. So you know, I started getting chatty with her while we were both getting our hair dyed, and I got her to admit who she was and who she works for. And then I mentioned I would love to do lunch with her this afternoon, and she agreed, even after I told her I work for the DP."

"Unbelievable. I've been trying to meet with her - "

" - For ages, I know. Which is why you're coming with me. This is your baby. Partners?" she asked grinning.

Chloe returned the grin. "Partners." She'd been trying to track down the Prinn's secretary, but the woman had a distinct aversion to the press. Apparently meeting Lois in person first had made her feel more comfortable.

"Sweet. Mayor Prinn...going down." Lois smirked in triumph.


	11. Chapter 11

_It's 4:03 and I can't sleep  
Without you next to me I  
Toss and turn like the sea.  
If I drown tonight,  
Bring me back to life  
Breathe your breath in me  
The only thing that I still believe  
In is you, if you only knew._

If You Only Knew  
Shinedown

-11-

Oliver was on air. He had just come from a board meeting in which he had single-handedly swayed the entire board to realize the grandiose mistake they had made a few days ago in cutting the work force in one of their sectors.

Once he'd gotten home from Gotham, Oliver had completely immersed himself in his work until he found a way to prove that by laying people off, in the long run, they were only losing money and giving the company a bad reputation of instability and heartlessness. It was obviously too late to go back on their decision, unfortunately, but he had been working on a proposal that would allow them to open several new industries, creating twice the number of jobs they'd depleted. It hadn't been anywhere near ready to present, as he hadn't done all of the figuring on it, yet, but when one of the sleazier board members - who had originally proposed the first cut - had put forth a suggestion to cut even more numbers, Oliver had snapped. He'd practically shouted for his assistant to bring him the files he'd left with her, and he'd startled all of the sleepy, greedy old men out of their wits when he threw the facts at them. He had the sneaking suspicion that it had come as somewhat of a shock to most of them that he didn't just care about Queen Industries, he actually understood how it worked.

The crowning glory had been when Alex Worth had approached him afterwards and commended him. Worth was the only remaining board members who had been around when Oliver's father was in charge. And he'd told Oliver his father would have been impressed with him and that he was, too. Considering that Worth had many types raised skeptical eyebrows at Oliver regarding his behavior in his personal life, it had meant a lot to Oliver to finally have his approval.

Loosening his tie, he exited his office, preparing to leave. "Marlene, take the day off. Any calls can go to the answering machine. I'm stepping out for the rest of the day."

Marlene, his assistant, looked up from her computer in surprise. "Are - are you sure?" she asked.

He chuckled. "I'm sure. You've earned it. And have lunch on the company."

She glowed. "Yes, sir, Mr. Queen."

He shrugged his jacket on, a grin of determination on his face. "All right. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a woman I need to woo."

She raised an amused eyebrow at him as she watched him leave the office, wondering what woman actually needed him to _bother_ with wooing. She was fairly certain most of them would just throw themselves willingly in his path.

Oliver pulled out his phone. When he'd seen Chloe the previous night, he hadn't exactly planned to have sex with her again. If he was honest with himself, he realized it had been inevitable, but he also didn't want to continue leading her into this unavoidably complicated relationship with the Green Arrow.

It was time for the first string to come in. Oliver Queen was going to win Chloe Sullivan over if it was the last thing he did. Drunk on the unexpected success of his meeting, he had every confidence that he could sweep her off her feet. After all, he had the upper hand: he knew everything the Green Arrow knew.

* * *

Chloe walked in the door of her apartment, early afternoon sunlight brightening the entire room. She'd just gotten back from her lunch with Lois and Laura Myers, and even though Laura hadn't revealed everything, yet, she'd given them a small amount to go on, and promised to send Chloe more information later in the week.

After working on the Mayor case for so long, she couldn't believe she had finally made a break-through. She could practically kiss Lois for managing to haul in the big one for her. Together, they were going to bring Mayor Prinn down and then maybe Metropolis might finally have someone decent in charge again.

Meanwhile, she was secretly glowing at the prospect of seeing the Green Arrow again that night. All throughout the day her mind kept returning to him, reliving the previous night, anticipating what was to come. She closed her eyes, shuddering. _Whoever he is, he sure as hell knows what he's doing._

Suddenly her expression fell at her own thoughts. She sighed. _Whoever he is_, she thought again, a little more glumly. She'd never expected their friendship to take the turn it had, and if she were being honest with herself, well, she could see the writing on the wall. She was falling in love with him. Slowly but surely.

She massaged her temple lightly, moving across the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. _You can't do this to yourself,_ she thought sternly. _Let it be what it is. Nothing more. He won't tell you who he is. Okay. So enjoy the sex and don't expect anything more. It'll be like...friends with benefits or something. No strings attached. You're there for each other when you need one another, and that will be all there is to it. Eventually..._

But she couldn't finish that thought. She wasn't sure what would happen eventually. Would he eventually get bored with her? Fall for someone else? Someone he was willing to reveal his identity to? Or maybe his alter-ego would be the one to find someone, and to be fair to her, the Green Arrow would cut his ties with his Sidekick. After all, it would be only right.

_...or_, a horrible little voice in her head spoke up. _Maybe there already _is_ someone. He probably has a girlfriend or a fiance or even a wife. And that's why he doesn't want to tell you who he is._

She let out a groan of frustration. She paused, suddenly aware of herself. How had she let her brilliant mood fall so quickly? She needed to stop over-thinking things. She was going to make herself miserable that way.

She heard her phone buzzing and smiled, instantly anticipating a message from the man currently in question. As she fished it out of her purse and it continued buzzing, she realized it wasn't a text, and Lois must be calling her. She finally found it and frowned when the call was from a private number. Eyebrow quirked she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Chloe Sullivan?" asked a man's voice.

Chloe paused in surprise, her hand halfway to her pot of coffee. Her voice was thick with suspicion this time. "Yes?"

"It's Oliver Queen."

This time she froze completely, finally matching the familiar voice to the face. After a long pause, she finally put her hand on her hip, demanding of him, "Are you a masochist or something?"

After a brief moment of surprised silence, she heard him laugh.

"I'm serious. What on earth could you possibly want?" she asked.

He continued chuckling and she found herself getting annoyed. "I'm sorry," he said, sobering up, "I just...I had a feeling your greeting was going to be something slightly out of the ordinary. I'm glad you didn't disappoint."

She rolled her eyes, finally reaching for the coffee and pouring herself a cup as she cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder. "I'm _so_ glad I amuse you," she said, voice heavy with sarcasm. "How did you get my cell number anyway?"

"Ah ah ah. I never reveal my tricks."

"Uh huh. Fine, whatever. Why don't you tell me what you want? I imagine this has something to do with the Planet?" she asked, assuming that he must want to talk to her as a reporter for whatever reason.

"The Planet?"

"Yeah. Are you trying to get me to spin a story your way or something?" she asked, taking a wild guess.

He paused again, this time unamused. "Wow. You have a _really_ low opinion of me, don't you?'

She blushed, automatically feeling guilty for offending him once again - it seemed to be her lot in life. "Well if you would just tell me why you're calling me, then I could stop trying to figure out what could possibly be going on in your mind right now."

"All right, all right," he chuckled. "I was hoping I could persuade you to see me sometime this week."

She frowned. "About what?"

"About that dress you were wearing last weekend."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, I can't seem to forget how incredibly beautiful you looked in that green dress. I wanted to see if it was just the dress or if you're really just that gorgeous in anything."

She froze yet again, registering this. Once she snapped out of it, she couldn't help rolling her eyes. "My God, you really are a masochist, aren't you?"

"Possibly."

"And you lay it on pretty thick, you know that?"

"Only when it's true," he said cheerfully, and she could tell he hadn't lost any of his bravado. "Come on, Miss Sullivan, admit you're secretly curious what it would be like to go out with me."

"I think I'm _openly_ curious about why you really want to see me."

"Do I have to have an ulterior motive? I'm standing by my story about the dress."

"Yes you have to have an ulterior motive because a man like you has no shortage of women who would _enjoy_ your charms and practically volunteer to suffer through them."

"So you're saying I'm painfully charming?"

"Sure, we'll go with that."

"Has it occurred to you that maybe I like the challenge?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you're not that stupid."

"I can't tell if that's a compliment or not."

"I can't tell if it's true or not."

"You could find out by agreeing to go out with me. Then you could test the extent of my stupidity as much as you want."

Chloe stood still, the first statement sinking in on her. _By agreeing to go out with him? _Somehow it had only just properly hit her that he was asking her out on a date. Her mind flashed to the Green Arrow and her heart sank. When she spoke again her voice was different. "I'm sorry, Mr. Queen, I just don't think that's a very good idea."

"But - "

"I'm flattered by the offer, but I'm - " _You're what? _she demanded of herself. _Seeing someone? You yourself said it was just sex. If he really wants more than that, then he can unmask anytime he wants_, she thought, a little unfairly_. _"You know what?" she said suddenly, "I take that back. What do you have in mind?"

He seemed surprised by her sudden change in attitude but quickly capitalized on it. "Whatever you want."

"Whatever _I_ want, Mr. Queen? Sounds indecisive."

"First of all, do me a favor and call me Oliver. And second, if you don't want to choose, then I'm just going to have to make it a surprise."

"What? Wait - "

"I have to go now, I'm afraid. But I'll call you later in the week with details."

"Hang on - "

"I look forward to testing my theory about that dress, Chloe," he said. "Goodbye." And he hung up.

_The raving lunatic hung up! _She let out a noise of frustration, ready to call him up again just to argue with him some more. Until she realized that he'd never given her his number.

"Unbelievable," she sighed to her cup of coffee. She patted the side of the cup affectionately. "Oh, coffee. You're the only one who understands." She paused, thinking of Lois. "Oh, jeez, she's going to gloat for weeks, isn't she?" she asked it. Sighing she went to sit down at her laptop at the bar, wondering if she had any messages from the Green Arrow.

There were none, and she wondered vaguely if she would hear from him before tonight.

* * *

It was as if Oliver's mood couldn't possibly get any better. Even the night seemed to agree with him as the sun began to set. He couldn't remember the last time he'd taken the time to watch it and really appreciated it's beauty.

Unable to resist he pulled out his phone and sent a picture of it to Chloe. He wondered if she was thinking about him.

And if she was, which one of him?

He rolled his eyes.

_One day, Oliver, _he warned himself, _all of this is going to catch up to you._

It seemed that the rest of the universe wanted to keep him from Chloe that night. One situation after another cropped up, again and again. But even that couldn't kill his feeling of triumph.

* * *

"_He just called out of the blue and asked you out?"_ Lois asked Chloe over the phone.

"Pretty much."

"_I _knew_ it. Didn't I say he liked you? I knew it. I just knew it. God, you two would make a gorgeous couple, do you know that?"_

"Aren't you missing something important here?" Chloe asked wearily, taking a bite of leftover chinese food.

"_What?"_

"Oh you know, just that thing where I'm _sleeping with another man._"

"_Hmm...yeah, that does put a damper on things, doesn't it?"_

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Just a smidge," she replied sarcastically.

"_Well,"_ Lois said, _"here's the way I see it. Right now you and the walking Leather Fetish are just scratching each other's backs, basically. I mean, if he had the nerve to ask some sort of commitment from you, then even I'd have to kick his ass because that would be completely unfair to you for obvious reasons. And this thing with Queen, well, it's just one date. No reason to turn away your bed-mate, in my opinion."_

"But, Lo - "

"_Let me finish. Now, if you realize you really _like _Queen, then you give Arrow the big ultimatum. If not, no reason to ruin a good thing, right?"_

"Isn't that kind of...selfish?"

"_Enh. Maybe a little. But like I said, it's just one date with Queen right now. For all you know, that's all it will ever be. I say until you think you've met _the one_ or something, then there's no need to stress about it. Oh, but definitely don't sleep with Queen right away 'cause that would be slutty."_

Chloe snorted. "Thanks, Lois. I'm sure I would have done something truly stupid if you hadn't said that."

"_It's what I'm here for,"_ Lois said cheerfully, missing Chloe's sarcasm entirely. _"But anyway, I gotta go. Bruce is going to call me in a few minutes and I need to change clothes."_

"Why do you need to change clothes for a phone call?" Chloe asked, confused.

"_Because if I want to sound hot I need to feel hot. Very important."_

Chloe laughed, shaking her head. "Of course. Well, talk to you later, Lo. Tell Bruce I say hi."

"_Will do. Later, cuz."_

They hung up and Chloe glanced at the text message that had come over her phone while she was talking to Lois. It was a picture of the sunset.

She smiled.

* * *

When the Green Arrow reached Chloe's room the night, it was well after 1:00 in the morning. He found her sleeping soundly in her bed, a book open on her chest and the bedside lamp on.

He chuckled at the sight of her. She was adorable, with her hair tousled, all traces of makeup gone from her face. He crept in quietly, not waking her yet. He shut the curtains to her window, leaving the lamp the only source of light once again. He walked over to her and pulled the book from her hands, glancing at the title with amusement.

_Tales of the Weird and Unexplained_

Closing it, he set it on her bedside table and then turned out the light. He could still see thanks to his glasses, but the room was otherwise impossible to make out.

She mumbled in her sleep in response, stirring at the changes. "No," she muttered softly.

He raised an eyebrow, amused.

Her brow furrowed slightly and she mumbled again, "_queen."_

He almost laughed aloud. Even in her sleep she referred to him with contempt. At least she was thinking about him. Or he assumed she was. It was possible, he supposed, that she could be arguing with the Queen of England in her sleep. But he doubted it.

She calmed again, her expression relaxing and he debated just leaving her to sleep. He leaned over and brushed a kiss against her lips, and they parted easily. Just as he pulled back she gasped, waking up. She pushed herself back against the headboard in fear, blinking to see in the dark.

"Who's there?"

He reached out and touched her face gently, and she relaxed immediately, recognizing his hand and glove.

"For pity's sake," she said sleepily. "You scared me." She was reaching for the lamp, but he caught her hand, stopping her.

"Sorry," he said simply. He could see her beginning to wake up properly, still blinking her eyes in the darkness. Slowly an unusual expression crossed over her face.

"Something wrong?" he asked, sorry that she was sharing his triumphant mood.

She seemed to be internally debating something, not quite looking at him, just the direction of his voice. Then, she shook her head. "Kiss me."

Perfectly ready to comply, he leaned down again and kissed her, almost surprised when she met his lips rigorously, pushing back his hood so she could slide her hand to the back of his neck and thread the other into his hair, drawing him closer. She moved her lips over his with attention, with a sense of abandon he'd never felt in her before. He kicked off his boots as she insistently dragged him closer and climbed onto the bed, hovering over her.

She bit down on his lip gently, tugging at it before whispering, "I want you."

Oliver didn't need much further invitation, need shooting to his groin. Part of him was slightly aware that her behavior seemed off, but he couldn't quite pin point what was different, and when he felt her hand meet his chest and start gliding lower along his body, he forgot the matter entirely. Her tiny hand met his hardening cock through the leather of his pants and she began rubbing over it, his whole body tightening in reaction. He groaned, pressing into her hand. Without warning her hand left the bulge in his pants and moved to the zipper of his vest, removing it quickly and tossing it aside. Next she found the hem of his body armor, attempting fiercely to shove it over his head.

Oliver took over for her, grabbing the material and easily pulling it off without knocking off his glasses. He leaned down and kissed her, pushing back the sheets on her bed and shoving his knee between her thighs to part them for him. Her body arched into him, and he could feel her nipples tightening beneath her shirt as they rubbed against his bare chest. She moaned as he pressed against her core, grinding down on her, and she clenched her hands in her pillow on either side of her head, eyes shut tight. Then, with great effort, she lowered her hands and found the waist of his pants, fumbling as she attempted to get them open, finally managing to do so and shoving them down along with his boxers, encouraging him to remove them entirely.

Oliver couldn't help being aware of the fact that he had never been completely naked with her. Not that he was remotely embarrassed, but it seemed somehow strange. Even now, he still had on the glasses, gloves and armbands.

Chloe seemed sufficiently satisfied, though, taking advantage of his momentary distraction to flip him over so she was on top, reminding him that meanwhile, she was fully clothed yet. She ground against his dick through her cotton shorts and he groaned, reaching to pull her down and shove the fabric of her shirt down one of her shoulders, latching his mouth onto her breast and eliciting a scream of pleasure from her. The movement of her hips against him became slightly less frantic but more insistent at the same time. He swiveled his tongue over her pebbled bud, sucking on it lightly and reaching up to flick his thumb over the other one through her shirt. He reached down to find the hem of her shorts and start pushing them down her waist as he continued laving her nipple, and she rose off him slightly, her back arching and her ass curving into the air as she simultaneously pressed into his mouth and helped him get the offending clothing out of the way.

Once they were off he pushed himself up, releasing her breast and finding her lips, shoving his tongue past them as she whimpered needily into his mouth, her one breast still exposed, the hardened nipple rubbing against his chest and heightening her desire. He could feel her slick and wet against him and he knew without doubt that she was ready for him. Gently he pushed her back, and he felt her confused frustration as he removed his gloves and tossed them on the floor as well. When he grabbed her now, he heard her gasp at the contact of his bare hands, moaning as her head fell back, not complying at first until she realized he was turning her around so her back was to his chest. The grabbed her hips firmly, encouraging her to rise up on her knees slightly, letting his cock find her entrance before she slid down on to it, gasping as he entered her. Oliver groaned at the feeling of her velvet walls, so tight around him, and he bucked his hips, reaching around her and finding her clit, rubbing it firmly while she began riding him, her thighs no doubt beginning to burn with the effort. He could feel himself getting closer and closer and he grabbed her breast with his free hand, pinching her nipple, trying desperately to make her come before him when suddenly she cried out for him.

"_Arrow!"_

His eyes clenched shut, his body suddenly less alert to her. He hated hearing her call him that during sex. Instantly he dragged her off of him and threw her beneath him, mouth covering hers to prevent her saying it again. She whimpered as she clutched at him, surprised at the sudden change and desperate for the release she had been so close to. She reached out to find his shaft, stroking it in encouragement, silently begging him to re-enter her as his tongue dominated hers, forcing speech to a halt. Reaching over for a pillow, he lifted her up and shoved it beneath her, Then he grabbed her knees and bent them upward before plunging into her again, feeling her nails digging into his back instead of leather for once. He bucked into her three times, four times, before finally he hit the spot inside of her that, combined with the pressure on her already swollen clit, had her shuddering as pleasure crashed over her and he finally allowed himself to come inside of her, nearly collapsing as he did. He managed to prop himself up on his elbows, keeping his weight off her as he rained kisses down on her face, shoving her damp hair out of it, her sweat slicked body radiating against his own. He sighed as his heart rate slowly decreased and three words suddenly reached the tip of his tongue. With effort her forced them back down, shaking his head slightly.

He felt her hands on his chest and realized she was gently pushing him. So he rolled over, taking her with him, not yet willing to break their intimate connection.

But Chloe was. Slowly, she slid off of him, but she remained on top of him, body stretched out across his, her lips brushing over his abdomen, his chest, tracing the muscles as if deciphering exactly what they would look like in the light.

He sighed, dragging her back up to him so that he could press a languid kiss to her lips, relishing her hands as they slid into his hair. He remembered the way she had reveled in his hair the first time, when he had thrown his hood back and she hadn't been expecting it.

He started to close his eyes, but stopped himself, realizing sadly that he couldn't afford to fall asleep there, not when he was completely unclothed.

Chloe had snuggled into his side, though, and at the moment, while she was burying her face into his neck, he wanted nothing more than to lie there with her. Fall asleep with her and wake up with her in his arms in the morning. He tightened his arms around her slightly, enjoying it for the moment, surprised when she spoke into his neck.

"I have a confession to make."


	12. Chapter 12

_When you're dreaming with a broken heart,  
The wakin' up is the hardest part._

Dreaming With a Broken Heart  
John Mayer

-12-

Chloe was surprised when she heard him chuckle in response to her statement. "Oh?" he asked, mildly surprised by her sudden statement. A flash of irritation shot through her, not because he had laughed, but because of the voice distorter he was still wearing. What had once been mysterious and sexy she now despised. That blasted device was just one more way he hid from her.

She sighed, trying to shove the negative thought away. She knew how it was. After all, Clark was completely in love with Lois, but he couldn't afford to tell her he was Superman. And it wasn't out of selfishness, or because he didn't trust her. It was just that he wanted to protect her.

With her eyes shut tight, she spoke. "This afternoon, someone asked me on a date - "

She felt his body stiffen beneath her.

" - and I said yes."

* * *

Oliver could have shot himself in the foot. As a matter of fact, he already had. The repercussions of what he had done that afternoon slammed into him in full force. How had he not seen this coming? He really should have, all things considered. Of course Chloe felt guilty. It was like she was cheating on him!

...although he wasn't sure which one of him she was cheating on, now that he thought about it.

_Damn, I need therapy. What am I? Schizo?_

He shook his head, then stopped, realizing Chloe's face was still buried in his neck. Gently he nudged her so she would lift her face to him. He knew she couldn't see him, but he wanted to see her.

"It's okay."

A flash of hurt shot across her face and he mentally cursed.

_Shit. Wrong thing to say. Great. She probably wishes I'd get angry or jealous. Of myself. Holy shit. I'm so screwed right now. How did I not realize this was going to happen?_

He sat in silence for a moment, continually wondering how he had managed to be so stupid. In his mind, it hadn't mattered because he was the same person. It hadn't even occurred to him that the Green Arrow might be upset that Chloe was going on a date with Oliver Queen because they were the same person. But she didn't _know_ that.

_Shit_.

Finally, he took a deep breath. "I mean, it's not that it's okay so much as it is better for you. I - this isn't fair to you, what we're doing." And it wasn't. That much, at least, he'd known from the beginning. He wished with every fiber of his being that he could come clean to her right then and there, but he knew he couldn't. She'd bolt so fast it would give him whiplash.

She trusted Green Arrow. He needed time so she could come to trust Oliver Queen now.

Bracing himself, he asked the question he knew he needed to, "Do you want me to stop coming to see you?" he asked.

"No!" she said before she could stop herself. Then she groaned, dropping her face back down to the crook of his neck. "Yes."

Even with his gut clenching at the words, he couldn't help the small smile at how adorable she was. He rubbed a soothing hand over her back before stroking her hair, playing lightly with it, feeling like an ass. "Okay."

He felt even worse when he felt something suspiciously like a tear hit his shoulder. He wondered how hard it was for her to hold back what he knew she must want to say at the moment. He knew how curious she was, knew it had been killing her to not know who he was. Right then and there it had to be bordering on torturous for her to not just demand to know who he was.

_Hang in there, Chlo_, he told her silently. _Don't give up, yet._

After a few long minutes, he realized it would be best if he left her. The longer he drew this out, the worse it would be for her.

But as she felt him shift from under her, she immediately protested. "Don't go," she said.

He closed his eyes, guilt twisting in his gut. He'd brought this on her. It had been completely unnecessary to do this to her. What was wrong with him? "What do you want me to do, Chloe? You know I can't stay for long," he reminded her, absolutely hating himself for it, knowing he was making her feel cheap even if that wasn't the reason for it.

She rolled off of him, burying her face in the pillow. "Fine."

Another pang. "I just...Chloe."

She didn't respond.

"Chloe, I can leave now or I can leave once you're asleep." He was going to ask which she preferred but he decided to go with the harsh truth, "Which is worse?"

She didn't respond at first, but he realized she seemed to be debating the question. Finally she pushed herself up, apparently having collected herself. "You should go."

He looked down, resigning himself before he got up from the bed and started searching for his gear, putting it on piece by piece, hating himself with every movement.

_Idiot_, he scolded himself. _Idiotic, selfish, stupid...God, you're worse than the media thinks you are, Queen!_

She startled him when she spoke again. "Are you dressed?" she asked.

Pulling his hood back up he nodded, then remembered she couldn't see him. "Yeah."

She reached over and clicked on the lamp, standing from the bed, sheet wrapped around her, having discarded her sweat soaked shirt. She walked over to him beside her window. To his surprise, she reached up on her toes and pulled him down to kiss him gently. When she pulled back, she pressed her forehead against his and said, with her eyes closed, "You can still come to me. For help, I mean. I don't need you to leave me alone entirely." She parted from him, opening her eyes again and laughed a little. "And anyway, I'd miss arguing with you about stuff."

His heart broke. He shook his head, wanting to knock some sense in her. He leaned down and kissed her again, hard. When he pulled back, he looked at her sternly, but there was the barest hint of teasing in his voice. "Do yourself a favor and learn how to be a little selfish, okay?"

* * *

Day 1

Chloe woke the next morning, for just a moment unsure why her chest felt tight like she wanted to cry. Then, slowly, the previous night came flooding back to her and she groaned, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow.

What had she done?

Her mind flashed to Oliver Queen and she beat a fist into her pillow, realizing what an idiot she must be. She'd broken things off with someone she was quite possibly in love with in favor of someone she wasn't even sure she _liked_. What was wrong with her?

Granted, there was slightly more to it than that, but why hadn't she at least taken Lois's advice and waited? She should have held her tongue on the subject unless it was for someone serious. For all she knew, her date with Queen would be the one and only.

Speaking of which, she still wasn't even sure why that lunatic had asked her out to begin with. She wasn't exactly proud of her behavior around him, but the fact remained that she'd been abominable to him. What in the world would make him want to ask her out for that?

"Psychotic...arrogant...attractive..._billionaire!"_ she muttered the curses into her pillow, feeling helpless.

She rolled over and stared at the ceiling, wondering if it held some answers for her.

One thing was certain. She was _not_ going into work today. Absolutely not. If ever there was a time to stay home and wallow in coffee-flavored ice cream with excessive amounts of hot fudge, this was it.

She dragged herself out of bed and found some clothes, intending to call Lois first, and then work, but her phone beat her to the punch. Just as she reached for it, Lois's ringtone went off.

Frowning at it, she picked it up and answered it.

"Lo?"

"_Hey, cuz,"_ Lois groaned into the fun.

"Lois, are you all right?"

"_Yeah...not so much. I have some sort of stomach virus and I - "_ she paused and Chloe had the suspicion she was gagging. _" - and there's no way I can come in. You're going to have to meet with Prinn's secretary without me. I'm so sorry."_

Chloe's heart sank. Of course this would happen. Of course it would. "Are you sure you're going to be all right? You sound awful."

"_Believe it or not, Smallville's on his way."_

"What?" Chloe quirked an eyebrow, momentarily distracted.

"_I was - oh, God, hang on." _The phone line was suddenly silent as Lois made a wild dash for the bathroom. Chloe could just barely hear the retching sounds in the distance. A few minutes later, Lois was back.

"Lois, maybe you should see a doctor."

"_Already made an appointment. Like, I said, Smallville's coming over because...well I'm not really sure why, but I said I couldn't partner with him on the assignment like I promised because I was ill, and the next thing I knew he said he was on his way. Something about soup. I don't know. But I'll make him take me to the doctor. I'll be fine."_

Chloe couldn't help the small smile at the fact that Clark had risen to the occasion as per usual, but she was still concerned. "Okay, but just let me know if you need anything, okay, Lo?"

"_Thanks, cuz. Let me know how everything goes at lunch. I've sent you an e-mail with the details."_

"Thanks, hun. Feel better, okay?"

"_Thanks. Bye. Good luck."_

They hung up and Chloe dropped to the floor in misery. "Not fair," she accused her phone. She fell back and laid on the floor for a few minutes, trying to motivate herself to move. It wasn't working very well.

Finally, resigned to the fact that she was just going to be angst-y no matter what she did, she pushed herself up and headed for her kitchen, figuring it would be best to start injecting caffeine into her veins at the earliest available opportunity. She hit the power button on her laptop and then poured herself a mug, leaving it black. She sipped it as she opened her front door and picked up the morning paper. As soon as she saw the headline, though, she tossed it on the counter and didn't look at it for the rest of the day. It was her latest article on the Green Arrow and how he'd rescued a couple of kids trapped in an apartment complex that had been set on fire by an arsonist.

Instead she headed to her computer and unthinkingly opened her e-mail, a habit from long before she had met the Green Arrow.

That didn't make it any less of a shock to her when her inbox was empty. She hadn't necessarily been thinking about checking for something from him when she went to look, but now that she was staring at the screen, the blatant lack of messages from him seemed to be harshly dumping ice water over her, ringing home the full scale of what she'd done.

She dropped her face to her hands and released a silent sob.

* * *

Chloe had been at work for only a couple of hours when her phone rang.

"_Chloe?"_

"Oliver?" she asked, recognizing the voice. Her heart thudded lightly. This was bad. This guy had no idea how much pressure was on him. She was pretty much praying her would sweep her off her feet so that the previous night wouldn't be the worst mistake of her life, but at the same time, she wasn't holding out much hope.

He hesitated, and when he spoke again, she could hear guilt thick in his voice. _"I - " _he released a heavy sigh. _"God, I'm just really angry at myself right now - you can't possibly imagine the half of it, trust me - but I have to cancel on you."_

"Cancel?" she asked, her heart sinking into her stomach. "We don't even have a set day."

She heard a frustrated sound on the other end. _"I know. Please, please believe me when I say if there was any way around this - "_ he cut off, apparently too upset to continue.

She frowned at how guilty he sound. "What's going on?" she prompted, trying to figure out just why he felt so bad. Of course, she was feeling sick to her stomach, but from his perspective, well, it was just a date.

"_It turns out I'm leaving the country indefinitely. I don't know what to tell you. I'm really sorry. There's nothing I can do about it."_

"Indefinitely?" she'd latched onto the word. "But...well, I mean, you're coming back eventually, right?"

He breathed heavily again, sounding exhausted. _"Yeah, it's just...probably going to be a lot more than a week before I make it back. I really don't know how long at this point. I'm just...you know, I had this whole great thing planned out for you - "_

She blinked, slightly surprised at how important she apparently was to him. It wasn't at all what she expected from him.

"_ - and I know you think I'm just...worthless, but - "_

She frowned. "I don't think you're worthless."

"_Look, it's fine, just - "_

"Oliver," she cut him off firmly. "I know I haven't exactly been amiable with you, but...well, it wasn't exactly intentional. And anyway, I wouldn't go out with someone I thought was worthless. Granted, I don't actually know if I like you or not, but I was willing to find out. Look, just...I don't know. Call me when you get back in town."

He paused for a long time. _"I will. I'll try to let you know as soon as I can when I'll be home. Do you have an e-mail address where I can contact you?" _he added as an afterthought.

"Yeah, you can find it in the Planet this morning." She sighed, glaring resentfully at the front page lying at the corner of her desk.

"_Right. I hadn't thought of that. Umm...so...I guess, I don't know; try not to get swept off your feet while I'm gone?" _he joked weakly.

She laughed bitterly. "I sincerely doubt there's any danger of that." She sighed. "So just out of curiosity, what was it you had planned?"

"_I'm not telling."_

She paused. "Why not?"

"_There's still a possibility I'll be able to pull it off when I get home," _he explained.

"Right," she rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Five bucks says you have no idea what you were going to do with me."

He chuckled darkly on the other end. _"Well, I had a few ideas..."_

"Whatever you say, Queen," she said, missing his innuendo.

"_Yeah, yeah. You wait and see, Sullivan."_

She sighed gently. "If you say so. Either way, I imagine you have to go if you're leaving the country so suddenly, and, unfortunately," she checked her watch, "I have early lunch plans."

"_Oh."_ There was a long pause. _"Okay...well - _" he stopped himself again. _"Okay this is going to sound really weird and possibly creepy, but don't judge me on it, okay?"_

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "O - kay?"

"_I'm going to miss you."_

She laughed in amusement. "Whatever, Queen. Call me when you're back in my neck of the woods," she told him before hanging up.

* * *

Kate Marsters was a thin, plain woman, with a small face and mousy brown hair. She wore a pair of red-framed glasses that seemed to be eternally slipping a little too far down her nose, and she embodied with acute perfection the idea of 'forgettable.' It also happened that she was Mayor Prinn's personal assistant of the last three years.

"The worst three years of my life," she groaned for the fiftieth time, and Chloe patted her arm sympathetically.

"Well, all I can say is that I can't thank you enough for agreeing to meet with me again. Lois was really sorry she couldn't be here." She took another sip of her coffee, counting down.

_Three...two..._

"I brought the files you asked about." Kate piped up.

_FINALLY! _"Oh! Thank you so much. Really."

The woman smiled grimly, holding the flash drive just out of reach for a brief moment. "And you swear this is to bring him down, right?" She'd lowered her voice, eyes briefly darting around the cafe to be certain no one was watching them. "I mean, I hate the guy, but I wouldn't hand Hitler over to be blackmailed." She paused. "Okay, well maybe Hitler, but - "

"I get the idea. And I can assure you, Kate, I'm doing this for unselfish reasons."

She nodded. "I know. I know that," she repeated, almost as if she were telling herself. "I've read your work for the Planet. You always write about that Green Arrow guy."

Chloe's heart felt like a needle had just shot through it. _Great_, she glanced discreetly at her watch, calculating. _Twenty minutes since the last time I thought about him. The day's standing record. Yaaaaay._

"Are you all right?"

Chloe snapped her attention back to Kate. "I'm sorry. I'm fine. I've just got a lot on my mind."

Kate handed her the flash drive. "I have to go. My lunch break is almost over. And if I'm even a _minute_ late...I swear I hate that guy," she groaned.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Chloe said, slipping the flash drive into her purse, "you're a hero today." She smiled encouragingly before tossing down a few bills on the table.

* * *

That night...

_Oliver cupped her face in his hand and pulled her forward, sinking his lips into hers. It was soft and gentle and she felt her eyes slide closed, breathing into him. Her eyes flew open again when she felt a second body pressed behind her on the couch, his arm snaking around her waist to slide up the green silk skirt of her dress, finding her heat and cupping it with a leather gloved hand._

_She gasped in surprise, and Oliver took advantage of her opened mouth, plunging his tongue inside of it and stroking hers forcefully. She grasped his arms for support, bucking her hips as the Green Arrow continued rubbing his hand over her pussy, slowly getting her more and more aroused. She kissed Oliver hungrily, trying to sate her need, feeling the erection pressed against her ass._

_Oliver's hands slid from her cheek and neck and moved lower to her breasts, grasping them through the silk, thumbs brushing over her tightened nipples, causing Chloe to moan, grinding down on the hand still stroking her. She grasped at Oliver's shirt, tearing it open, forcing his hands from her momentarily as she tugged it from his body, needing to feel his bare skin. She heard the green arrow chuckle behind her, his lips kissing her shoulder and then her neck, finding her ear next and biting it teasingly as he pushed her panties aside and shoved two fingers inside her wet passage._

_She cried out and Oliver covered her mouth with his to swallow the sound. He slid the straps of her dress down, letting it fall and expose her breasts to him. He pinched her buds as she whimpered into his mouth, arching into his hands and riding the two fingers now pumping in and out of her. Oliver's mouth sank lower and her head fell back to rest on the Green Arrow's shoulder. He closed his lips over one of her breasts, sucking at the bud and tugging a mixture between a sob and a cry from Chloe's lips. She grasped his head, holding him to her as his tongue flipped rapidly over her nipple and the Green Arrow's thumb brushed against her clit while he fucked her with his fingers._

"_Oh God," she cried, her body screaming for more, for the teasing to stop. "Please."_

_And then both men were releasing her, the Green Arrow pulling his soaked fingers out of her and pressing them into her mouth, Chloe whimpering at the loss as she sucked them clean. As soon as he pulled his fingers out, Oliver's mouth had closed over hers once again, swiping his tongue inside her mouth to taste the remnants of her flavor. She whined in the back of her throat as the Green Arrow's gloved hands covered her breasts now, the cool leather a sudden shock as he pinched her buds, then started drawing circles over them with his thumbs._

_Oliver pulled away from her lips again and then sank down, kneeling in front of her on the floor, tearing her panties off and shoving her thighs apart as wide as he could, pushing her skirt further out of the way, looking up to meet Chloe's eyes to make sure she was watching before he leaned in and wrapped his lips around her clit, sucking on it hard. Chloe cried out and threw her head back again, her thighs clenching together. Oliver's hands shoved them back open, holding them wide apart for him, and behind her the Green Arrow tangled a hand in her hair, pushing her head back up so she would be forced to watch Oliver's progress. She watched as he flicked his tongue repeatedly over her clit, then licked her slick folds, his thumbs brushing over her trembling inner thighs. She groaned as he sucked one of her outer lips into his mouth, tugging at it and stretching it before moving to the other side for the same treatment. She bucked her hips, Oliver's hands holding her in place for the most part, but the Green Arrow moaned behind her as she ground against his cock, and she wished one of them would fuck her already._

_As if in response to her thought, Oliver's tongue entered into her, thrusting in and out and causing her to writhe in pleasure, her eyes never leaving him as he pleasured her, her breasts aching from the Green Arrow's ministrations. Chloe could feel her climax approaching as Oliver continued thrusting his tongue inside of her, his nose brushing against her clit, and suddenly her gaze was wrenched from him as the Green Arrow turned her head to meet his lips, kissing her possessively as she screamed into his mouth, coming all over Oliver's mouth..._

* * *

Day 2

Chloe's eyes flew open, her body warm and flushed. "Holy _shit_."

* * *

"Hey, cuz, I - oh my God, what's wrong?"

Chloe blinked, looking up from her desk at the Planet. "Hi, Lois. I see you're feeling better."

"Don't give me that. What happened?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. She'd known Lois would catch on within minutes, but she'd hoped she wasn't quite so obvious. She debated. She could deny that anything was wrong so that she could avoid talking about it, or she could just 'fess up right there and get it over with. She heaved a sigh. "I ended it."

Lois just stared at her in confusion. "Ended what?"

_Wait for it,_ Chloe thought wryly. _Four...three...two..._

"OH MY GOD!"

_Ding ding ding._

Several people around the bullpen looked up in surprise at Lois's sudden exclamation. Lois cringed. "The Cubs lost?" she said, gesturing at the sports section in front of her.

"Lois, it's not even baseball season," Chloe chuckled as everyone sent Lois a strange look before going back to their usual business.

"Forget that," Lois said, pulling her chair around to sit next to Chloe, leaning forward. "What happened? I thought you were going to wait to see how things played out."

Chloe closed her eyes. "So did I. But then...he came to see me...and well, _you know,_" she said significantly, "and then I felt guilty, like I was going behind his back, kind of, so I told him that Queen asked me out, and then one thing led to another and...well, you get the idea."

"Oh, Chlo," Lois said, reaching forward to pull Chloe into a hug. "I'm sorry. I could tell you really liked him."

Chloe allowed herself to melt into her cousin's arms and accept a bit of comfort for a moment before they were interrupted.

"Sullivan! Lane! What is this, group therapy?"

They broke apart to find Perry White glaring at them in suspicion.

"Sorry, Chief," Lois said quickly, moving around to her own desk and pulling out her mail to read.

Perry passed next to Chloe and muttered under his breath in concern, "All right, Sullivan?"

Managing a weak smile, Chloe nodded to him.

"Good," he said, gruff manner returning. "Get back to work. I'm not running a daycare here."

"You got it, _Chief_," Chloe joked, using Lois's nickname for him.

He winked at her before heading back into his office, barking at a few other people along the way.

When he was gone, Lois looked at Chloe over her computer. "So did you get everything from Marsters?"

Chloe nodded.

"Sweet." She glanced around them. "My apartment after work?" she asked.

"You got it."

When the evening rolled around, Chloe was grateful for the steady flow of work she'd had all day, and even more grateful for the prospect of the project before her. She needed distraction. Over lunch, she'd managed to tell the whole story to Lois, all about how things had come to a screeching halt with the man of her dreams in favor of Oliver Queen, someone she wasn't even sure she liked, just for that same person to flee to a foreign country.

Lois had elegantly cursed out both men in their turn, depending on which one she blamed in the particular moment.

Other than that, Chloe had managed to keep herself as busy as possible, her futile attempt to spend as little time thinking about either of them as she could. She couldn't decide which one of them she was more upset with: the Green Arrow for not being willing to reveal his identity even after he'd slept with her or Oliver Queen for ruining her sex/love life with his stupid cancelled date.

She and Lois pulled a late night. The article on the mayor, between the two of them, didn't take that long, but after that there was ice cream to be indulged in and movies to cry over as they purged their emotions regarding men.

* * *

Chloe stumbled back into her own apartment that night at 2:00 in the morning, thinking in the back of her mind that at least she would fall straight to sleep, and as exhausted as she was, she probably wouldn't dream at all. Her mind flashed to her dream from the previous night and she groaned as she flopped into her bed, barely remembering to flip the light before her head hit the pillow and she fell asleep...

* * *

"_Oh, God, yes!"_ _Gloved hands gripped her thighs with bruising tightness and she felt as the Green Arrow pressed into her from behind, leaning over and kissing her shoulder, but her mind was on Oliver as she reached out and stroked his cock with her hand. A tiny bit of liquid appeared, and she licked it off before closing her mouth around him and sucking, relishing his groan in response. She moaned, humming around him as Arrow reached around her and began rubbing her clit..._

* * *

Day 3

Chloe woke with a groan, burying her face in her pillow in frustration, feeling the desperate ache between her thighs. Her face turned read as she recalled every kinky detail of the psychotic dream she'd had.

"Damn," she muttered to the pillow.

* * *

Chloe leaned back in her desk chair, staring at the morning paper with a grim satisfaction.

_Prinn's Price: Can You Afford Him?_

It exposed all the mayor's back-dealing, the money he'd embezzled from the city and from charity fundraisers, as well as the fact that he'd been taking bribes since he got elected. At that very moment, the district attorney was holding an interrogation with the mayor, and Chloe and Lois were clinking coffee mugs over that morning's front page.

"Hi, Lois. I didn't see you much yesterday. Are you feeling better?"

Lois started, sloshing her coffee slightly, causing Chloe to watch her curiously. "Oh, hey, Smallville. Yeah. Thanks." She immediately busied herself with imaginary work as Clark said good morning to Chloe and headed for his own desk behind her. Chloe studied Lois's red ears and less than subtle attempt to pretend she was focused on an upside down, unopened letter.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Huh," was her minimalist reaction to the new development.

Lois looked up defensively. "What?"

"Nothing," Chloe said innocently, turning to her computer to open her e-mail account. Then, after a couple of moments had past, "So, Clark came over the other day when you were sick, huh?"

"What?" Lois jumped again. "Oh, yeah, he did."

"Interesting," she said simply before returning to her computer, wondering why the internet was taking so long.

The word hovered in the air for a moment before Lois took the bait.

"What do you mean, 'interesting?'"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing."

"No, you said it. What does that mean?"

"Well, I just always thought that..." she made a show of glancing at Clark as he headed to the water cooler for a drink, 'accidentally' bumping into someone in the process. "Never mind, it's silly."

Lois glared. "Chloe Ann Sullivan, tell me what you're going on about this instant."

Chloe sighed. "Oh, I don't know. I guess I just always kind of thought there was something..._there._" She waved a dismissive hand. "But that's silly. You're seeing Bruce."

"Right..." Lois mumbled thoughtfully, "Bruce.

"Uh huh," Chloe said, momentarily losing interest as she was greeted with an empty inbox for the third day in a row. She'd been debating whether or not to e-mail him. But maybe he thought it was for the best not to talk to her at all. Maybe he was right, for that matter. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to relax and turned her attention back to Lois. "But you know, it's not like you and Bruce are that serious. I mean...I like him for you and all, but Clark is very..." she smiled, _"Clark."_

A step too far. Lois got defensive. "Smallville's not interested in me. And anyway, I'm not interested in him. I don't know where you got such an insane idea," she added, blushing heatedly.

Chloe smirked. "Right. _What_ was I thinking?" She rolled her eyes, glancing affectionately at the utterly oblivious Clark Kent, who was now casting a nervous glance at Lois from across the room.

_I'm surrounded by love-sick puppies_, she sighed to herself. _I guess it was only a matter of time before they infected me._

* * *

That night...

_She was in the green dress from the gala in Gotham, resting her head against his shoulder and dancing with him as they stood on the glass roof of the building. Oliver's hand cupped her chin, lifting it to him so he could kiss her, and she threaded her hands into his thick blonde hair, allowing his tongue to slip into her mouth. A gloved hand slipped beneath the slit of the dress, wrapping around her thigh and pressing her against him. Chloe reached down and found the zipper on his vest, dragging it down and shoving it from his shoulders._

"_I love you..."_

* * *

Hours later into the morning, Chloe woke again, chest heaving, her skin slick with sweat. Her eyes still laden with sleep, she shoved herself out of bed, dragging herself over to the bathroom. She flipped on the light and squinted as it assaulted her eyes.

Oliver Queen in the Green Arrow costume.

She needed _therapy_.

Tiredly, she stripped off her clothes piece by piece, and headed over to the shower, half asleep as she turned on the water, pushing the lever all the way to ice cold before stepping inside.

Downstairs, the older married couple who lived in the flat below Chloe woke with a start, eyes flying open in shock and staring in concern at the ceiling, the source of the ear-splitting scream.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Well, this is embarrassing. All I can say is that it was unclear, poor writing on my part. The end of the last chapter was not meant to be a cliff-hanger, just a little comical. Chloe was screaming b/c of the ice-cold shower. **

_Queen and country safe and sound  
With villains 6 feet underground.  
And no one knows, 'cause no one's found  
Any trace of a Man for All Seasons.  
Loves 'em and leaves 'em alone,  
So alone. But safe at home._

A Man for All Seasons  
Robbie Williams

-13-

Day 1

Oliver cringed, his phone to his ear as he broke the news to Chloe.

"_Indefinitely? But...well, I mean, you're coming back eventually, right?"_

He wanted to bang his head against his desk. Better yet, he wanted to fly to Russia and bang all of _their _heads against _their _desks and then fly back home to Chloe and tell her he was in love with her and–

...watch her laugh in his face. Right. One step at a time. Oliver Queen might want to try actually going on a date with Chloe before freaking her out completely.

He shook his head miserably as she laughed when he said he'd miss her. She hadn't taken him seriously at all–which was probably for the best–but she had no idea. When she hung up he actually did drop his head to his desk, considering gauging his eyes out he was so miserable.

He wanted to scream at something. Or someone. Preferably the people running the company in Russia that he'd been sweet-talking for over a year regarding a major deal for the company. They'd called his assistant that morning to pass along the message that, essentially, they'd gotten cold feet because they suddenly didn't trust Oliver.

It absolutely killed him to cancel on her, and his stomach twisted with nausea when he told her he'd miss her and she thought it was a joke. When he hung up he buried his face in his hands and cursed. "This _sucks_," he huffed. Then he glanced at his watch. There was no time to wallow in his own misery. He had a meeting with Dr. Pamela Black about the RL65 drug she was developing.

Three hours later he was struggling for sleep on an overseas plane, his mind refusing to relinquish thoughts of Chloe. Everything had been going so well and then he'd screwed them both over.

_Am I cursed? _he wondered. _I must be cursed. That's the only explanation for something this bizarre. I wonder if Superman has these problems._ He rolled his eyes.

Everything was falling apart around him and he wished he knew what to do. He wanted to call her, or at least e-mail her as the Green Arrow, but she'd asked for space, and he knew it was better if he let her be the one to contact him. He didn't want to push her too far, and he'd already crossed so many unforgivable lines as the Green Arrow.

He thought about e-mailing as Oliver, but he'd called her already, and she barely knew that side of him. She might get flighty if he was overbearing, and the last thing he needed to do was scare her off from Oliver, too.

He rubbed his eyes, reclining in his seat and hoping for sleep, knowing it wasn't likely to be restful. He wasn't wrong...

* * *

_Oliver moaned her name as Chloe's lips worked at his neck, her arms threading around him, telling him how it had been a mistake, that she never should have let him go, begging him to never leave again._

_He grabbed her ass and her head fell back, mouth parted in a gasp as he dragged her against him and then lifted her up, setting her on the low wall of the Daily Planet rooftop. He shoved up the pencil skirt she was wearing so she could wrap her thighs around his waist and rub his erection against her core. Arousal coursed through him at the realization that she wasn't wearing any panties. She grinned until he captured her lips, hands massaging her thighs as he ground against her, relishing her moans and the way her hips eagerly met his._

_Having had enough with waiting, Chloe reached down and freed his cock, rubbing her hand over it, inciting a low moan from Oliver. He wrapped his hands around her back to keep her from leaning too far, from toppling over the edge and falling 30 stories to the ground below. He could feel himself getting closer as she continued pumping her hand over him, her lips moving against his, and finally he reached down to pull her hand away so that he could enter her. With one arm wrapped around her, he leaned her carefully back before sliding into her, savoring the shot of adrenaline that flashed through her eyes as her stomach flipped from the height right before he entered her. She cried out, her head falling back and he slammed into her again. Every time he thrust into her, she moaned, the pitch escalating, her fingernails digging into the leather on his shoulders._

_Just as she was about to climax, his hood fell back and she recognized his face. All traces of ecstasy drained from her face and repulsion filled her features as she tore the glasses off, the words he most dreaded dropping from her lips._

"_Oh God, anyone but _you_."_

* * *

Day 2

Oliver woke in a cold sweat, shooting up in his seat. "Holy _shit_." He rubbed a hand over his face, realizing the plane had landed and he was in no state to be seen.

* * *

His first day in Russia was long and boring and painfully lonely. He hadn't realized how much of his time he spent talking to Chloe until she was suddenly gone. And with the time difference, there wasn't much chance of talking to her anyway, as she'd most likely be sleeping during his down time.

He spent hours upon hours arguing in offices and boardrooms, then schmoozing up to people over lunch and an evening party.

Through the evening he was distracted every time he saw a flash of green, somehow half-expecting the woman in green to be Chloe in that dress of hers, although, of course, it never was.

He read the Daily Planet's website when he got home late that night, grinning when he saw the article at the top of the site was another Green Arrow piece by Chloe Sullivan. He wondered warily if she would notice that the Green Arrow wouldn't be seen much while he was gone. He'd have to count on the possibility of their being enough fake reports about him to keep suspicion from being raised. He knew he didn't have to worry about Metropolis. Superman had it more than covered, but he couldn't help being nervous about it.

He shook his head as he switched into his e-mail, praying for something from her, no matter who it was addressed to, but there was nothing. Not from her at least.

Not bothering to do anything more than loosen his tie and kick off his shoes, Oliver flopped back on the bed of his hotel room, wondering what she was doing at that moment, whether or not she was thinking of him.

* * *

_Oliver looked up from his desk, surprised to see Chloe entering his office._

"_What are you doing here?" he asked curiously, thrilled to see her._

_She untied the belt of her coat and let it fall open, and Oliver's throat went dry at the sight of her in nothing but a white tank top and tiny grey shorts, as if she'd left her apartment in a hurry, not even bothering to get dressed. "I wanted to see you," she said, smiling deviously at him as she walked toward him and grabbed his tie, pulling him down to kiss her._

_He met her lips readily, not bothering to question the fact that she was there, merely grateful for it. He shoved the coat off her shoulders and let it drop to the floor. He shoved his tongue past her lips and into her mouth, stroking her tongue seductively, eagerly shrugging out of his own suit jacket and tugging off his tie. She pulled back when he did, grinning at him as she took the tie and slipped it around her own neck, holding the end of it between her fingers amusedly. "I like the business look," she teased as she rubbed against him, causing most of the blood in his body to drain to one, particular, concentrated area._

"_I like the pajamas," he quipped back, sinking down in front of her and pulling her shorts off before parting her thighs and stroking her folds with one long lick, smirking when her hands tangled in his hair and her head fell back, as she cried out. He almost wished they could hear her outside._

_He dipped his tongue into her core before finding her clit and pressing a kiss to it, then circling it with his tongue. She whined lustfully, her hips bucking as he teased her before he wrapped his lips over her clit and sucked on it, gripping her thighs tightly to keep her knees from buckling. Before she could come, though, he slid back up her body, trailing his mouth over her stomach through the thin cotton shirt, his hands still anchored firmly on her hips. He dragged his lips up her throat before finding her mouth and kissing her briefly. Before she had a chance to kiss him back, he turned her and bent her over his desk, leaning over to kiss her neck. His hands crawled beneath her shirt to tease her breasts, flicking his thumbs over her hardened nipples as she whimpered pleading with him._

_The whimpering echoed back softly, and he realized her hand had flipped the switch on his intercom. He grinned wickedly as her ass rubbed against him, hoping to entice him into finally taking her. "Tell them what you want, Chloe," he whispered in her ear and she moaned desperately. "Tell them who you want inside you right now."_

"_Oh god, _please_," she begged as he pinched her nipples to make his point._

"_Tell them."_

"_I want..." she trailed off into a moan, unable to finish._

"_Come on, Chloe. Who do you want inside you?"_

"_The Green Arrow!" she screamed._

* * *

Day 3

Oliver's eyes flew open as he gasped in horror. Realizing he'd been dreaming, he dropped his head back onto his pillow in exhaustion, eyes falling closed again. "Damn," he muttered wearily.

* * *

His second day in Russia was similar to his first, and Oliver continually considered just shooting himself in the head to end the misery. His Russian friends were being impossible, really. They seemed to like him just as much as they'd liked him over phone calls and video conferences, and they agreed with everything that he had to say.

But at the end of the day they still refused to sign anything. It was maddening. He couldn't get any one of them to tell him straight up what the problem, and if someone didn't say something soon, he was going to kick somebody's teeth in.

And then one of them let it slip. LuthorCorp was bidding for the same deal.

It had taken him all day to persuade them that the Luthors were rats, to remind them that they'd been doing business with Queen Industries for decades, and to point out the fact that they'd always benefited from that relationship.

By the time he turned in he was exhausted. The jet-lag and the stupidity were catching up to him. He wanted so badly to e-mail Chloe, to tell her about his day and let her make him laugh because he knew it would only take her a matter of minutes to accomplish an otherwise impossible task.

Instead, when he opened his e-mail he checked the Daily Planet website again for anything interesting, pleased when he saw she'd made yet another headline, finally having published her story on the mayor. He read it eagerly, impressed with the amount of dirt she'd managed to dig up on the man, hearing the sound of her voice in his head as he read it, just as he had with the article from the other night. He liked Chloe's writing. Her personality leapt off the page of her work.

When he was finished, he opened up his e-mail, fully intending to send Chloe an e-mail to congratulate her, until he remembered he was supposed to be backing off.

He heaved a heavy sigh as a list of unopened e-mails materialized before him and he debated momentarily whether or not sending her just _one_ little e-mail would be out of order, until an e-mail caught his eye and distracted him from his moral dilemma.

**From: ... Subject: your billion $ ass**

Oliver quirked an eyebrow before double-clicking to open it.

_...had better be available this weekend. I'm in Metropolis, Queen. Air show then leave. Hit me up._

_–Hal_

The corner of Oliver's lip twitched at the e-mail, and he groaned at the fact that he was trapped out in Russia on business. He and Hal had been friends for years, having met up as Green Arrow and Green Lantern...the rest was history.

He sighed as he looked at his calendar. It had only been a couple of days, and even though he had made small progress that day, now that he knew that another company was trying to edge him out of his deal–not to mention the fact that that company was LuthorCorp–he probably wouldn't be going home any time soon.

Glumly, he pulled open an e-mail and responded to Hal, hoping that Hal would still be in Metropolis when he got back...whenever that would be.

**From: oliverqque... Subject: my billion $ ass**

_...is in Russia, believe it or not. I know. I suck. Wish I could tell you how long I'll be here, but there's no way to know for sure. How long do you think you'll be in the heartland?_

_–O_

He hit send and once the window vanished, he let the mouse hover over the new e-mail button, once again internally struggling over whether or not to e-mail Chloe. With yet another weary sigh, he decided against it and that it was best to stick to his plan to let her contact him.

When he fell asleep that night, his dream was no less unsettling than the previous two...

* * *

_She was beautiful, angelic even, soft curls framing her face as he laid her back on the bed, soft ivory sheets sliding against her fair skin. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, brushing the hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear, his other hand ghosting down her side before wrapping around her thigh and drawing it up over his hip._

_Her hands held his face to her, keeping him from breaking the kiss, and with a slight thud of his heart, he felt the cool band of her wedding ring. Gently he tugged away from her lips and brought her hand around for him to admire the ring..._his_ ring, on that oh-so-important finger. He kissed the glittering adornment and she chuckled softly at him. "I love you," she whispered, stroking the side of his face affectionately._

_He grinned at her. "I love you, too."_

_His heart stopped._

"_I..." he tried again, but it still came out too deep, too gravelly. Distorted._

_Realization hit him like ice water. He was in his leathers. Chloe had married the Green Arrow._

* * *

When Oliver woke up he groaned angrily, glancing at the clock in desperation.

Chloe married to the Green Arrow? He needed therapy.

Wearily he dragged himself out of bed, blindly stumbling for the bathroom. Inside he cringed in pain when he flicked on the lights, blinking against them as he dragged himself over to the shower where he turned on the water and shoved the dial all the way to cold.

His scream echoed around the bathroom, and he was grateful for the thick walls of the hotel that kept anyone from hearing it.


	14. Chapter 14

_Put your dreams away for another day  
And I will take their place in your heart  
Wishing on a star never got you far  
And so it's time to make a new start._

Put Your Dreams Away  
Frank Sinatra

–14–

_12 Days Later_

It was a gorgeous, sunny day out, and even the cold weather wasn't much of a bother for Chloe when it was so beautiful out. She unwrapped her scarf from her neck and stuffed it in her purse as she walked down the sidewalk toward the Daily Planet that morning.

She'd finally managed to get three nights of sleep in a row without having some sort of psychotic sex dream about either Oliver Queen or the Green Arrow, and the rest had done her wonders. She took a sip of her coffee while hitting the button to activate the cross walk and waited on the traffic.

Granted, she was still a little hurt that she hadn't heard from the elusive Archer for two weeks. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but she had thought that the Green Arrow would have at least contacted her by now for help on a mission.

Oliver, at least had sent an e-mail to praise her piece on the mayor, and she'd politely thanked him, but other than that, she hadn't heard much from him either.

She took a sip of her coffee and stepped out into the street when she saw the pedestrian light come on from the corner of her eye.

"Woah!" a male voice exclaimed as a hand reached out and grabbed her, dragging her back to the sidewalk in time for a corvette to speed past an inch from her nose.

Chloe gasped, spilling her coffee by accident and clutching her heart. "Oh my God!"

"Are you all right?" her rescuer asked while Chloe attempted to catch her breath. "That guy should be arrested," he added spitefully in the direction the car had vanished.

Chloe shook herself. "I'm fine, thanks. I wasn't paying attention, I guess. I–" she looked up to thank him and paused briefly, her mouth opening just slightly in surprise. She shut it promptly and swallowed.

The man grinning at her was more than a little attractive. Tall, muscular, brown hair, and dark brown eyes with a hint of mischief in him, he was looking at her in concern at the moment, but she could tell his mouth would normally form a somewhat lopsided, roguish grin.

Suddenly she realized he'd said something to her. She snapped back into focus. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked.

He grinned and she saw that she'd been right about his potential smile. "I asked if you were all right?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you so much."

"Of course. Sorry about your coffee," he added, looking at the cardboard cup on the ground. "I'm Hal Jordan, by the way," he added, extending a hand.

She shook his gladly. "Chloe Sullivan."

He blinked. "Really?"

She gave him a weird look. "Yeaaah..." she said slowly.

He chuckled. "Sorry. No, I've just read a lot of your articles for the planet. You're a bit of a hero's crusader. Cult following," he winked.

She beamed at him and he hit the crosswalk button again, both of them having already missed their opportunity to cross. "So can I get you another cup of coffee?" he offered when the light turned green. They both made sure to check that the cars were actually stopping before crossing this time.

She hesitated at his question and glanced at her watch. She shook her head. "I'm sorry; I really can't. I'm already running late for work." She looked at him apologetically.

"You sure?" he asked.

She nodded. "Thank God there's a coffee pot in the copy room!" she joked and he chuckled. They came to a corner and she nodded in the direction she was headed. "This is me," she said when he came to a halt, obviously not going the same way.

He nodded. "Nice meeting you, Miss Sullivan."

"Chloe," she said, grinning as she walked backwards toward the Planet. "You, too!" she added before turning around and picking up a brisk pace toward her building, internally mourning the loss of her coffee.

* * *

"SULLIVAN! In my office, now!"

Chloe jolted in surprise, almost spilling her second cup of coffee that day. She looked up in the direction of Perry's office, where the door had just slammed shut, and raised an eyebrow.

Lois did the same. "Jeez, what'd you do?"

Chloe lifted a shoulder and dropped it. "Beats me." Rising from her desk, she shuffled a few of her things and put her computer to sleep. Then she headed over to Perry's office and braced herself for the worst. She walked straight in, not bothering to knock.

He looked up from his desk when she entered and glared. "Sullivan, your work is slipping."

Chloe's mouth fell open in protest. "My article on the mayor–" she began.

"–was almost two weeks ago. You've barely brought me anything worth reading since then."

"That's hardly true, my piece on the trial was–"

"–a follow up on the two-week-old article on the mayor. Come on, Sullivan. What happened to your stuff on the Green Arrow. Between you and your cousin, I've never sold so many papers. And then all of a sudden you decide to keep your personal romance with the guy _private."_

Chloe blushed in horror. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come off it, Sullivan. You're almost as bad as your cousin. The crush leaps off the page. Hell if I care–"

Chloe barely contained her sigh of relief. For a moment she'd thought he knew about her actual relationship with the Green Arrow.

"–my point is that you suddenly clammed up about him. What's going on? He pull another thief act that you couldn't spin this time or what?"

Chloe stared at the ceiling, trying to control her emotions. Once she'd reigned them in she was able to look at Perry to answer. "He didn't do anything. Literally. I haven't seen head or tail of the man since my last piece. And believe me when I say I've had my ear to the ground."

"So ask him what's going on."

Chloe laughed. "What, you think I can just conjure him up like I Dream of Arrow or something? This isn't Gotham. There's no Bat Signal to call him in."

"Sullivan, I refuse to believe you've used all of your resources to get hold of this guy."

She started to protest again but he raised a hand to stop her.

"Save it. I'm not going to ask what your real relationship with him. Like I said: I don't give a rat's ass. I'm just saying I know you're holding out on me, and I want the story. Did he hang up his tights? Is that what your trying to cover?"

"They're not tights," she interjected before she could stop herself.

"Whatever. You see where I'm going with this, right, Sullivan?"

"Yes, Boss," she said, subdued.

"Bring me a piece on the Green Arrow."

"I'll do my best."

"Good. In the meantime, I've got an assignment for you."

She perked up in surprise.

"Don't look so shocked, like it never happens or something. There's a big airshow in town sponsored by Ferris Aircraft. I want you to cover it. It opens in three days."

Chloe grinned. "Got it!"

"Good. Now get out of here. I'm tired of looking at you. And tell your cousin I'm still waiting on that car-jacking piece she promised me."

Chloe nodded and made good her exit. Back at her desk she found Clark and Lois talking about something, and Chloe smiled, pausing for a moment to study them.

About a week ago, Lois and Bruce had inexplicably ended their relationship. Lois hadn't had much to say on the subject, except that it was mutual, and Chloe had let it go only because Lois didn't seem as broken up over it as she'd expected.

Aside from that, ever since Clark had taken care of Lois while she was sick, Chloe had noticed her cousin becoming flustered and blushing whenever Clark was around. It looked like Clark was finally managing to when Lois over, and Chloe was happy for them. She'd known since the first day the pair met that they would make an excellent couple.

Before she had snapped out of her thoughts, Lois had looked up and spotted her, looking genuinely excited about something, "Chlo, guess what!"

Chloe grinned. "What?"

"The General's in Metropolis!"

Chloe blinked in surprise, grin broadening. "Really? That's fantastic, Lois. What's he doing here?" She hadn't seen her uncle in several years now.

"There's some big aircraft show in town, and I guess the General's looking at some of the planes they're testing. Either way, the he called me up tonight as a surprise and said he wants to take us both to dinner after the show's opening!"

Chloe was beaming by now, "That sounds great."

Lois nodded, "Yep. Anyway, I gotta go. I'm meeting him for lunch right now," she said, slinging her purse over her shoulder. "Later, cuz. Clark," she added, cheeks tinging pink before she turned and left.

Chloe raised an eyebrow at Clark, who blushed as well. "What?" he asked defensively.

"What was that?" she asked, gesturing between him and the place where Lois had just been standing.

"What was what?" he played dumb, sitting down to flip on his police scanner again.

Chloe snorted. "Right." She shook her head, settling back down to read the mail that had been dropped on her desk in her absence. She frowned at a blank envelope and flipped it over. No address. She sighed and opened it.

_You'll pay._

She swallowed anxiously at the lone, typed phrase. _Hooray for hate mail_, she rolled her eyes before tossing the letter in the trash. _Guess that means I'm doing my job._

* * *

On the other side of the world, Oliver was grinding his teeth, sitting in on yet another meeting in which his potential business partners were hemming and hawing over whether or not to sign with him.

His most recent e-mail from Hal was running through his mind on repeat.

**From: ... Subject: (none)**

_Bummer that you're still stuck in siberia, dude. Hope you get outa there soon._

_So you know that woman who's written all those GA articles for the Planet here? You'll never believe this, but I met her this morning. Dude, did you know she's a total hottie? Seriously, completely gorgeous. Asked her for coffee but no luck; she had to get to work. I'm thinking about trying again later._

_Anyway, good luck with that meeting. Show 'em who's wearing the pants._

–_Hal_

Before Oliver knew what was happening he suddenly became aware of the fact that he was no longer sitting down and he had the vague impression that he'd just shouted something at the men in the room in Russian.

Taking a deep breath, he glared at all of them. Continuing to speak in Russian, he lowered his voice, doing his best to speak calmly and make clear his intention.

"Look, I do not appreciate the fact that all of you are wasting my time like this. My company needs me at home. I'm leaving, and I don't give a shit if that means Luthor gets the deal because frankly, I'm fed up. There is a woman in Metropolis who is about to fall in love with another man if I don't fucking get home and make her realize she's in love with me and that's more important than all the damn business ventures in the world."

And then he was walking out the door, not looking back. He flipped open his cell phone and called his pilot, telling him to be ready to leave for the States within the hour. "Oh, and do me a favor and accidentally let it slip to the media that I'm leaving. There's someone I want to know I'm coming home."

He was going home.

Oddly enough, when he got back to his hotel and started throwing his things into his suitcase, he received a voice mail from the director of the company's board.

"_Mr. Queen, in forty years of working for this company, I have never once seen a display like that. Congratulations. We're signing. Any man who cares that passionately about something, especially someone he loves, is exactly the kind of person we want to do business with."_

* * *

Two days later Chloe took a long sip of her coffee and raised an eyebrow at the many magazine covers before her. She normally didn't give much more than a passing glance at the news stand on her way to work, but this time the glossy photos and bold headlines had something that caught her attention.

"Hey, what am I, a library?" demanded the man running the stand and Chloe cringed apologetically, momentarily debating purchasing one of the mags but then quickly dismissing the idea, turning to leave the headlines in her wake.

_Queen Comes Calling_

_Oliver Queen Seals Deal_

_Back in Metropolis?_

_St. Petersburg, Star City, Metropolis_

The last one outlined his planned destinations. Now that he had left St. Petersburg earlier than anticipated, he'd informed reporters in New York while his plane refueled that he would be heading to Star City to address some business in his home office briefly before heading back for his residence in Metropolis where head "private affairs" to "take care of."

Chloe's stomach did an uncalled for little flip at the last announcement. She tried to stop herself from wondering whether he included her under the category of "private affairs."

Shaking her head, she reprimanded herself.

_He's been gone for weeks. He's probably engaged to a long-lost-Russian-Princess or something by now. He's _Oliver Queen_ for pity's sake. Who knows why I even caught his attention in the first–_

"Whoops, careful!" a familiar voice said as strong hands reached out to steady her and stop her from knocking into him.

Chloe looked up, startled , into the grinning face of Hal Jordan.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," he teased.

Chloe laughed. "You're right. I'm sorry. I was lost in thought. Nice to see you again, Mr. Jordan."

"Hal," he corrected. "And it's nice to see you, too. So tell me," he continued, "if I'd let you spill your coffee just now, would you have let me buy you a new one this time? Because I'd be happy to have a clumsy moment and–"

Chloe laughed.

"Is that a no?"

She smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid so. Honestly, I would, but I'm running a bit late, and I forgot my press pass at work yesterday, so I need to go out of my way to get it."

Hal glanced at his watch and sighed regretfully. "Just as well. I'm on a bit of a time crunch, myself."

Chloe quirked an eyebrow at him. "I'm flattered you offered to take time for me, then," she challenged.

He winked as he flagged down a taxi. "For true love? I always make time," he joked, making her laugh again. "And anyway, the show literally can't go on without me, so everyone else will just have to wait."

Chloe shook her head, eyes sparkling. "Whatever you say, bigshot. Nice running into you again, Hal," she raised her coffee cup to him before turning to continue her walk to the Planet, chuckling to herself.

* * *

Later that morning the wind blew Chloe's hair into her face as she surveyed the many experimental planes owned by Ferris Aircraft. She brushed it out of her face, just as she heard someone shout her name a few yards away.

"Chloe!"

Chloe turned, grinning excitedly toward a man in full military dress, with a cigar clenched in his teeth. "Uncle Sam!" she exclaimed excitedly, rushing toward him without registering the face of the younger man beside the General. She flung herself excitedly in his arms, carefully avoiding the smoldering cigar which he promptly tossed to the ground and stomped out before hugging her back tightly.

"How are you, my little ace reporter?" he asked affectionately, and the man standing beside them, if it were possible, raised his eyebrows even further.

Chloe grinned up at him, not letting go just yet. "I'm good. I've missed you. You didn't come home for Easter this spring."

He patted her head. "Yes, well, busy times. When's Lois getting here?" he added glancing around to make sure he hadn't accidentally missed his daughter by mistake.

Chloe shook her head as she let go. "She's coming later on closer to the show's starting time. I came earlier to take a look around and maybe snag a few interviews," she said.

"Well," the General replied pleasantly, "I've got just the man here," he clapped his hand on his companion's shoulder and Chloe blinked in surprise. "Chloe, meet–"

"Hal!" she said in surprise.

"Chloe," he greeted, finally recovering from the effect of witnessing the General's soft side, which no one would have ever guessed existed to begin with. "Good to see you again."

The General looked pleased. "You two know each other?"

"Well, not...really," Chloe said.

"We've had a couple of run-ins," Hal explained. "I'm a big fan of her work," he added.

"Hmm...yes," the General said, the line of his mouth thinning slightly. Chloe said nothing. It was no secret that her uncle didn't approve of either her or Lois's very public stances on vigilantes, and therefore, in favor of keeping visits pleasant, they avoided broaching the subject as much as possible. "Anyway," he continued. "Mr. Jordan here is Ferris's head test pilot."

"Is he?" Chloe raised an eyebrow, curiously.

"He is...I mean I am," Hal shook himself.

The General rocked back on his heels, looking between the two, clearly pleased. "I was just going to invite this young man to join us all for supper this evening. I don't suppose Lois will mind?" he asked Chloe.

Realizing what her uncle was trying to do, Chloe tried not to groan. Restricting it to an almost undetectable sigh, Chloe smiled good-naturedly, "I'm sure she won't."

"I'd be honored," Hal accepted. Hal was looking as pleased as if he couldn't have contrived something better if he tried.

So was the General.

Chloe tried not to roll her eyes. _Men_.


	15. Chapter 15

_He's been gone for such a long time  
Now he's back and things'll be fine.  
You're gonna be sorry you were ever born.  
'Cause he's kind of big and he's awful strong._

_Hey la, hey la, My boyfriend's back._

My Boyfriend's Back  
The Angels

–15–

"Why, Miss Sullivan, what a surprise."

It wasn't a surprise at all. Not remotely. Oliver had called up the editor of the Daily Planet and asked where he could find her. He'd known she would be here. It was pure luck that it meant he could hold up his promise to Hal to make it to the air show if he could.

Wrenching her eyes from the plane soaring over head for the first time, Chloe turned to see Oliver Queen standing before her, shock etched plainly across her face. "Oliver!" she exclaimed.

He grinned, winking at her. "Miss me?"

"I–um–" all she could do was stammer. _Wow. I think I forgot how attractive he is...He's...wow._ She swallowed tightly, eyes flickering over his physique briefly, though she did her best not too linger too long. "Hi."

Oliver grinned, pleased with her reaction. "How are you?" he asked, glancing up at the plane as Hal did a barrel roll and the crowds oohed and awed, applause rippling through them. He shoved his hands in his pocket to help him resist the incredibly overwhelming urge to reach out and kiss her. God, he'd missed her.

Chloe opened her mouth to reply, but just as she did, a company of four more planes followed after Hal, drowning out any conversation.

Once she was able to speak again, she gave it another shot. "I've been good, thanks. I mean, not perfect or anything. My editor's ticked off with me, but–"

"You?" he asked, genuinely surprise. "Aren't you like his golden goose or something?"

Chloe laughed at the description. "I wouldn't go quite that far, although if that's the case I guess you could say he's dangerously close to cutting me open, figuratively speaking."

"What's the story?"

They paused conversation momentarily as the planes created a V-formation in the sky, each one peeling away separately until only the center plane was left, dropping into a nose-dive suddenly and pulling out of it at the last conceivable second, causing everyone's hearts to stop and her uncle to grin.

"I–um–sorry, what did you ask again?" she laughed, trying to pull the hair from her face in spite of the wind.

"I asked what your editor is harassing you about."

Chloe laughed. "Right. The Green Arrow." She craned her head back, lifting a hand to block the sun from her eyes as she trained them on one of the planes soaring overhead.

Oliver stood still eyeing her warily. "Oh?"

She lifted a shoulder nonchalantly. "It's been a slow news week since the mayor got locked up. He's looking for something to push sales, and since I haven't come up with anything on everyone's favorite archer lately, he's picking on me. It'll pass."

Oliver raised an eyebrow at the sentiment. For some reason, he interpreted it as: _Well, the Green Arrow's been avoiding me for weeks so my career is suffering. But I'll get over him._ He shifted uncomfortably. "Or a story might come up. You never know."

She tossed him a rare smile. "Maybe." But she didn't sound like she was going to hold her breath.

He shook his thoughts away from that train. He needed to worry less about her relationship with him and more about her relationship with...well, _him._ He resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

_I will never get over my own stupidity._

"So I was wondering whether your free tonight. I believe you owe me a mystery date," he said, grinning at her. She looked completely caught by surprise.

_Jeez, did she already forget? I wasn't gone _that_ long...was I?_

She bit her lip, looking apologetic. "I'd love to, but I've got plans tonight."

His stomach churned. Plans? With who? Hal? "Oh?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm going out to dinner with my Uncle, my cousin, and one of the pilots here."

He felt a minor wave of relief. Until he realized that the pilot was most likely Hal, and Hal was being introduced to her family. Had so much happened in the last couple of days? He hadn't talked to Hal since before he'd left Russia. Maybe he'd finally won Chloe over and–

"I'm free tomorrow night," she suggested.

He snapped out of it. "Tomorrow's perfect."

She grinned, cheeks flushed, though he couldn't be sure it wasn't from the wind. "Okay." She paused. "So...any chance you're going to tell me what we'll be doing this time?"

He smirked. "Nope."

She groaned. "Perhaps I should reintroduce myself here. Hi, I'm Chloe Sullivan, and I hate surprises."

He only looked more amused. "Hi, Chloe, I'm Oliver Queen, and I intend to sweep you off your feet whether you like it or not, and surprises come with the package."

She laughed, and this time he was sure of the blush that crept into her cheeks. "Can't you at least tell me what I should wear? And when are you picking me up for this mystery date? Because I can tell you right now that I'm not a morning person."

"Tomorrow night, and you can wear whatever you want that's comfortable."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Okay, so it's an evening activity..." she said thoughtfully, and he realized that she wasn't asking questions to prepare herself, she was looking for clues to guess what they were doing. "And by 'comfortable' do you mean rock-climbing comfortable or yoga class comfortable."

"T-shirt and jeans comfortable, and that's all you're getting." He paused before adding, "Although, if you wanted to wear that green dress, I wouldn't protest..."

She shoved his shoulder amusedly. "Uh huh. God, what is it with you and that dress? I swear, I'm never letting my cousin pick my clothes ever again."

He arched his brow. And here he thought she'd picked green that weekend specifically for him...well, the other him, but...anyway. "So your cousin was to blame for that, huh? iI figured you were showing solidarity for your headline-maker," he joked, fishing a little.

She laughed, eyes back on the sky again. Oliver looked up as well, remembering that, in theory, he was there for Hal. It might be a nice gesture to actually watch the show. "I think it was more like Lois's gesture. She's obsessed with my relationship with the gu–" She stopped abruptly.

Oliver could have thrown himself a small parade. Instead he asked casually, "Your _relationship_ with him? Should I be worried about some competition?"

Chloe's face turned at least seven different shades of red before finally settling on a deep carmine that crept right out to her ears.

"I didn't mean...I mean he...it's not really a relationship; it's more like...well, it is a relationship in the business sense...sort of..." she stammered and grinned in amusement at her. "We, I mean, he...you know, nothing. He's just...a source."

"And occasionally subject matter," Oliver supplied, tilting his head toward her as he spoke and then back. His expression was one of unspeakable amusement, but Chloe was too busy being embarrassed to notice.

"Right. That, too."

"So what would you do if you knew who he was?" he continued nonchalantly, in spite of the vital importance of the question.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Worried he might unmask so we can elope together?" she teased. "Considering you haven't even taken me on a date, yet, I don't think you really get to be jealous here."

He shrugged. "I was just curious. After all, you're a reporter."

She looked somewhat affronted. "Just because I work for a newspaper, Queen, doesn't mean I don't know when to keep my mouth shut. Some stories need to be published because they help people. They bring justice. Some stories should be kept to yourself because keeping them a secret is what protects people. I'm not some selfish gossip columnist who prints everything she hears just to see her name in the paper. And–"

"Woah, woah, woah. No offense meant. I didn't think you were. I was just honestly curious. I like that you wouldn't sell the guy out. It's admirable."

She relaxed slightly, her defenses dropping. Then she gave a chuckle. "Just don't tell my editor. I don't think he would be quite as amused."

He was about to reply when someone else called Chloe's name. They both looked up to see Lois flagging Chloe down, looking determined. Clark was standing to the side, looking awkward and adorable as usual. A gust of wind picked up and blew his tie in his face. Chloe chuckled. She turned to Oliver, "It was nice to see you again, Oliver...umm, call me about tomorrow?"

He nodded, reluctant to let her go when he still just wanted to carry her off and take her to bed with him.

_One step at a time. One step at a time..._ he repeated his recent mantra. At least he'd had an entire conversation with her that hadn't gone up in flames.

Chloe left him and headed for Lois, noticing, the closer she got that Lois clearly looked upset about something. Slinging her arm around her cousin's shoulder, Lois excused herself to Clark and guided Chloe away a few yards.

Chloe was looking at Clark in amusement. "You came with Clark? Interesting."

"Enough about that. I've been looking all over for you. Would you like to explain _this_ to me?"

Wary of the fact that Lois hadn't even seemed to notice that she'd caught Chloe mid-conversation with Oliver Queen, she looked down at the item Lois was waving frantically in her face. A white, unmarked envelope aside from Chloe's name written across it. Her face paled a little. "Where did you get that?"

"I found it in your trash. Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Why were you going through my trash?"

"I was...you know what, that's not the point. The point is someone's sending you threatening mail, and you didn't mention it. Tell me you at least told the police." Lois looked at her pleadingly.

"Of course not, Lois. You know as well as I do that this comes with the job. It's no big deal. It just means I ruffled someone's feathers."

Lois looked at her sternly. "Yes, it comes with the job, but so does being careful, Chlo. I'd never forgive myself if you were to get yourself shot or something. I know half these things are just meant to scare you, but for all you know, it could be serious. Promise me you're going to talk to the police about this."

Chloe sighed. "If it will make you happy, I'll drop by the station tomorrow," she placated, thinking she'd drop the letter off, answer a few of the usual questions with the usual answers.

"_Miss Sullivan, do you know of anyone who might have a grudge against you or a reason to harm you?"_

"_Well, are we talking within the city, state, country, planet, or galaxy?"_

Chloe resisted an urge to roll her eyes.

Lois nodded. "It will."

"So have you seen the General yet?" Chloe asked.

Lois nodded, looking please. "You know what's ten times more fun than watching Bruce Wayne try to impress the General?" she asked.

"What?"

"Watching _Clark Kent_ try to impress the General."

* * *

"So Jordan, how long have you been flying?" General Lane asked across the round booth, sawing into his sirloin, where Chloe was seated almost uncomfortably close to Hal.

Lois, meanwhile, was shooting the two of them looks, as if she couldn't make up her mind whether she was offended that the General hadn't invited Clark to dinner, offended that Chloe hadn't told her about this Hal Jordan character, or absolutely delighted by the presence of a new potential love interest in Chloe's life.

She seemed to have settled on the last one eventually, but the vague notion that she'd seen Oliver Queen with Chloe earlier that day was nagging at the back of her mind.

Hal promptly swallowed the bite of steak he'd just taken and wiped a napkin over his mouth. "For about nine years, Sir, if you don't count school."

"Well I've got to say I was thoroughly impressed with your flying this afternoon. And I'm looking forward to talking to Ferris about doing business. Those are some particularly fine aircraft."

"Yes, Sir," Hal agreed eagerly, while Chloe and Lois exchanged amused looks. Here it went: Men and there toys. "Ferris Aircraft has some of the finest innovative flying technology this side of the galaxy."

They all gave him an odd look and Hal laughed awkwardly.

"Meant it as a joke, Sir. But still, they are an excellent company. I've been fortunate to be able to work for them." Then, in an attempt to turn the conversation away from himself, "How long have the two of you been working for the Planet?"

"Well, I've only been there for a few years, but Chloe's had an internship since her freshman year of college already."

"Really? That's very impressive," Hal said, looking at Chloe, who was blushing slightly as she stabbed a piece of asparagus. "I'm sure you're very proud, Sir."

As a matter of fact the General was beaming.

"Especially with their renown in this city," Hal continued, lifting a forkful of sweet potato. "The two of these women have done a lot for the heroes of the world."

Lois choked on her wine and Chloe swallowed the asparagus the wrong way, both of them shooting looks at Hal.

The General, however, was in a particularly amiable mood that evening. "Yes, well, they know how to find a story. And I may not like everything they write, but I raised Lois to be independent and think for herself, and Chloe's cut from the same cloth. I wouldn't have them any other way."

Both women sighed in relief as the General leaned forward to continue.

"But I think you and I both know who the real heroes in this country are, Jordan."

"Sir?"

"Men and women in uniform," he said proudly taking a sip of his drink. "Not folks who run around in masks and capes."

Chloe lifted her eyes to the ceiling while Lois's dropped to her lap. Hal glanced at them curiously.

"Of course, Sir, but, well...the Green Lantern, for instance–"

"Who's that?"

Hal shrugged. "Guy who hangs around Coast City. He's saved a lot of lives."

Chloe's ears perked up and she glanced at Hal, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Lois, on the other hand was shooting daggers at him and wondering why he didn't know when to shut his trap.

"Hogwash," the General said. "A man who's a true hero doesn't have to hide his face."

Chloe saw the muscle in Hal's jaw twitch. "But, when you think about it, isn't it a lot like the military?"

Chloe and Lois's eyes widened to the size of saucers and both their heads turned to the General for reaction. The man in question narrowed his eyes, but his interest was piqued if nothing else. His expression, however, was completely devoid of amusement. "Explain."

"Well," Hal continued cautiously, properly alarmed by the General's tone, "just that, you know, uniform. I was in the Airforce ROTC program in school and then flew for a full six years afterwards before I went to work for Ferris. And ah...well, uniforms are designed to create anonymity, eliminate pride, all the same stuff. Soldiers aren't meant to have an individual identity because they're one unit, but also because the last thing anyone wants is to let an individual stick out to the enemy. And why does any soldier go to war? To protect the people he loves and the ideas he upholds. That's exactly the same things a hero wants to do, only he's fighting alone, so in order to not be an individual and protect those connected to him, he puts on a mask."

Chloe and Lois held their breath as they turned to the General for his response. He leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms across his chest. "And what ideas do these masked men uphold, exactly?"

Hal, whose bravado was holding up admirably, turned to Chloe and Lois. "Well you two have gotten the interviews and written the articles. Why don't one of you ladies field that one?" he asked amicably.

Chloe was scrutinizing him as if she was seeing him in a whole new light. Lois, in the meantime, dropped her jaw to stare at him like he had lost his mind. Noticing Lois's gaping jaw, Hal looked to Chloe.

"Chloe? What would you say the Green Arrow stands for? You've written a lot of articles supporting him. You've probably put a lot of thought into this."

Chloe narrowed her eyes at Hal momentarily, her mouth forming a thin line. After an undetectable pause, she turned toward her uncle, but kept her eyes trained on Hal. "I'd say that the Green Arrow wants to look out for the weak, to protect those who can't help themselves."

Almost as if he hadn't heard Chloe, the General kept his eyes on Hal as well. "And more importantly, what gives these vigilantes the right to uphold whatever ideas they may have at the expense of the law? There's a reason we have police forces."

Hal nodded in consent. "I agree about the police. They're an important part of a just society. But they also can't be everywhere. Don't you agree, Lois?" Hal asked, raising his eyebrows at the gaping brunette.

"I–um–"

"And you know," Hal plowed ahead, not waiting for Lois's response, "I wouldn't use the term 'vigilante' to describe most of them."

"Oh?" the General challenged, unimpressed.

Hal nodded, pausing a moment to take swig of water. "No more than any other citizen of the country who upholds the law. If any man on the street intervenes in a mugging to help someone, you don't call them a vigilante and sic the law on them, do you?"

"I think these men do a lot more than just intervene in muggings."

Hal raised his glass in agreement. "That's fair, but my point is, most of them don't break laws. Assisting an arrest isn't against the law. Now, I'll grant you, there are some out there who think it's okay to pass judgement or carry out sentences, and that's not right."

"The line is thin."

"That it is. Your friend the archer," Hal said with a smirk, and Chloe felt her defenses rising, "he toes that line pretty finely for instance, although," he paused thoughtfully, and Chloe couldn't help thinking the smirk became more pronounce, "I've noticed a slight change in what he deems acceptable behavior in the last few months." He took another drink of water. "And personally, I'm not supporting those who think it's acceptable to carry out sentences. But as for standing up for someone whose weaker than you, well, that's part of what living in America means."

There was silence as no one but the General breathed. Finally, he reached for his drink a took a swig. He set the glass down, and Chloe released the tiniest breath of relief when she spotted the gleam in his eyes. She felt Lois's muscles unclench beside her. "Well, Jordan, I can't say I see eye to eye with you, but–" he paused, "you make a good argument."

_Interesting, _Chloe thought, raising her wine glass back to her lips, _Well, Mr. Jordan, I would bet my next headline that you know the Green Lantern personally._

* * *

Across town, as Chloe, Lois, Hal, and General Lane debated over dessert, Oliver was suiting up. He knew the only way to keep his mind off of the fact that somewhere on the other side of Metropolis, Hal was charming the pants off of Chloe and her family.

_Bad choice of phrase_, he added ruefully, zipping up the leather tunic. _She was happy to see me, and she went out of her way to arrange plans with me_, he reassured himself for the hundredth time.

He slid on his sunglasses and headed for the balcony.

For the most part, things were typical. Part of him had missed it. Russia had its own heroes, and he couldn't afford for the Green Arrow to be spotted among them.

He stopped a bank robbery, a couple of muggings, and a break-and-enter. He wasn't far from his apartment when he heard the car alarm go off. He gave it a few seconds to see if it was a misfire. Owners accidentally set off their own alarms all the time. It didn't stop, and then he heard a cry for help.

Time moved in chunks: his arrival on the scene of the crime, moving the woman to safety, turning on the car-jacker and preparing to knock him out, the bullet ripping through his chest.

He could still hear the car-alarm as his vision blurred and he clutched his chest, falling to his knees. He managed to register the second man not hanging around to see what happened next as he shook and his partner made a run for it. He coughed, tasting the bitter coppery flavor of his own blood in his mouth.

* * *

"Can I take you home, Chloe?" the General offered at the end of the night, but Chloe shook her head as Hal helped her into her coat.

"I'm only a block away so I'm going to walk. I'll be fine."

Hal raised an eyebrow. "This late at night? You should at least take a cab, Chloe."

Lois nodded in agreement. "I agree," she shot Chloe a meaningful look, undoubtedly thinking of the threatening letter Chloe had received. "As a matter of fact, I'll go with you, since the men are going to be talking business anyway."

Chloe sighed at the protective gesture. Apparently Lois was more concerned than Chloe realized if she was missing an opportunity to throw Chloe and Hal together. Not that her best efforts would have mattered. Hal and the General were both going in the opposite direction.

So Chloe said goodbye to Hal and her uncle, and hopped in a cab with Lois. The driver brought Lois to her apartment a block away from Chloe. Comfortable that Chloe would be safe since she was driving home.

"See you tomorrow morning?" Lois asked, hugging Chloe before stepping out of the cab.

"Not first thing," Chloe said. "I'll probably be holed up in the police station most of the morning," she sighed resignedly.

Lois smirked. "Good. Bye, cuz."

Chloe waved through the window before giving the driver her address. Ten minutes later they pulled up to her apartment complex. Chloe paid the driver, buzzed herself in, and climbed the several flights of stairs to her apartment, looking forward to taking off her heels and climbing into bed.

The last thing she remembered was opening her door, her head down as she put her keys back in her purse, just as something connected with her head with a loud thud and everything went black.


	16. Chapter 16

_I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams  
When the city sleeps  
And I'm the only one and I walk alone._

Boulevard of Broken Dreams  
Greenday

–16–

It was nothing short of a miracle. How he had made it to his apartment, zip-lining onto his balcony, stumbling through his apartment, crawling feebly to his safe and pulling out the vial...he would never know how he had managed it except that it just wasn't his time to go.

That was...assuming it worked of course. And there was a good chance it didn't.

He opened the briefcase and pulled out the small glass vial, clear liquid inside and managed to stick the needle in and extract it after several tries, his vertigo increasing every second. With his last breath of energy he jabbed the needle into his arm and injected the RL65, praying it worked, a brief, regretful thought of Chloe swimming in the far corner of his mind. And another of his parents. Friends he'd made and treated poorly...

And then, suddenly, things were clearing up.

_If I'm dying, it could be worse._

Breathing became easier until all of a sudden he felt completely fine. Pushing himself off the floor, he ripped off his vest and then black under armor, wiping the smear of blood away and staring in amazement at the unmarred skin where a bullet had blown clean through moments ago.

He flexed his fist, awed, feeling adrenaline and energy coursing through him, like he wasn't just repaired, he was _improved._

"Wow," he breathed.

* * *

Lois tapped her pencil distractedly the next day, staring at her cousin's empty desk. She checked her watch. It was almost five o'clock.

Surely the police station wouldn't hold her for _this _long?

"Hey, Lane!" Perry called her, clearly in a temper.

Lois looked up and saw him gesturing her inside his office. She sighed, looked like it was her turn to get some grief.

"Hiya, Chief," Lois said brightly when she entered his office.

"Don't give me that. Where's your cousin?"

Lois raised an eyebrow. "She said she was stopping by the police station this morning about some threatening mail she received."

Perry's eyebrows rose significantly. "First, she didn't tell me about that, and she oughta know better. Second, it's probably just a hoax anyway, so I don't know why she's wasting her time. Third, she didn't send me her report on the airshow from yesterday and you can bet I'm none too pleased about that. Tell her she better be after a hell of a lead if she's missing a deadline," he warned. "Get outa here."

"Sure, Chief," Lois said hurriedly, eager to get out of his office and call Chloe. It wasn't like her not to e-mail Perry if she was going to be late. He normally didn't care, as long as it was for a story, but Chloe made a habit of it anyway.

But what worried her the most was that Chloe hadn't e-mailed in her assignment. That wasn't just unlike Chloe. That had Case of the Body Snatchers written all over it.

Rifling through her things she located her phone and pressed 1 on the speed-dial. She waited out every ring until the voicemail picked up and she nervously hung up. Something felt off. She looked around for Clark to ask if he had heard from Chloe that morning, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey Matt," Lois grabbed the sleeve of the man walking past.

"Lane, if I have to tell you one more time that it's _Kyle_...how do you even come up with Matt? They're nothing–"

"Sorry,_ Kyle_, whatever," Lois waved him off a bit frantically.

He eyed her curiously. "Something wrong, Lane?"

"Have you seen Clark?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I think the boss sent him on assignment over in Granville first thing this morning." He paused, curiosity turning to the slightest bit of concern. "You okay, Lane?" he asked.

She shook herself. "Yeah, fine." She reached for her jacket and slung it on. "I'm heading out. Do me a huge favor, Matt, and if Chloe comes in, tell her to call me," she told him as she headed for the door.

"IT'S KYLE!" he shouted after her in frustration as she dashed for the door.

Lois didn't waste time walking to Chloe's apartment. She whistled loudly for a cab and was at the building in a matter of minutes. Once there, she buzzed herself in with the clearance code Chloe had given her when she first moved in, and then headed up to Chloe's apartment.

She swallowed at the sight of the door just slightly ajar, as if someone hadn't quite closed it properly. Knocking on it as she opened the door, she let herself in, and tripped over something on the floor.

Chloe's purse.

"Oh shit this looks bad," Lois murmured, stooping down to pick up the purse. She set it on the counter and sorted through it. Sure enough, Chloe's wallet was in there, and there was no way she would leave home without it. She pulled out the white envelope, folded in half, that contained the anonymous threat, proof that Chloe wasn't at the police station.

Her heart stopped and a few curses spilled out as Lois felt anxiety start to take over.

She would call the police. That had to be done first. She pulled out her own cell phone, ready to make the call, but then paused.

The police would probably take Chloe's laptop to search for any clues, and she might need them first.

She didn't want to play games with time when her cousin's life might be in danger, and she was shaking clumsily as she rushed to Chloe's room to search for her laptop.

_Calm down, Lo_, she told herself, taking a deep breath. _It'll be fine._

The way she saw it she needed a hero, and she had two options on how to find one. Given that she didn't want to fling herself off a building in hopes that Superman _might_ show up, she felt like option B was a safer choice.

* * *

"_Fifty_," Oliver grunted, raising the barbell for the final time before setting it on the rack above him. This was incredible. He'd never felt so good. He grabbed a towel automatically, but as he wiped his forehead, he realized he'd barely broken a sweat.

_This is incredible. God, I haven't felt this good since...I've _never_ felt this good._

He disregarded the fact that in his meeting with Dr. Black she'd tried to warn him about side-effects. The fool didn't know what she was sitting on. The RL65 formula had worked perfectly, and he felt more than fine.

He grinned, heading for the kitchen to get some water, thoughts drifting to his plans with Chloe that evening. He'd been planning something simple. Nothing too crazy, but the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of a private box somewhere...or at least buying out a movie theatre for the night. Chloe would enjoy that, he decided. His hand was halfway to his phone to make the call when he heard an instant message alert sound from his office.

Eyebrows up, he headed for the computer and shook off the screensaver.

_Speak of the devil_...

**Requested chat from Sidekick101**

**Ignore Accept**

This was the first time she'd initiated any contact with the Green Arrow since that fateful night.

"Huh," he muttered under his breath, moving the mouse to click 'Accept.'

**emeraldarcher1** hey, gorgeous

There was a momentary pause and he wondered what she was thinking. He felt a muscle in his jaw tick at the idea that maybe she had convinced herself she wanted the archer over Oliver Queen.

Then, finally, he got an answer.

**sidekick101** this isn't Chloe.

Anger and worry seized him simultaneously.

**emeraldarcher1 ** how the hell did you hack a secure room?

**sidekick101** I didn't hack...well, I did, but the point is, this is Lois, Chloe's cousin

**sidekick101** Chloe's in trouble.

He was about to fly into the fact that apparently Chloe was gossiping with her cousin about her relationship with a superhero, but he got distracted by the second statement

**emeraldarcher1** what happened

**sidekick101** I think she's been kidnapped.

**sidekick101** she didn't show up for work or hand in her latest assignment. Her apartment was unlocked and empty. her purse and wallet are here

**emeraldarcher1** call the police.

**emeraldarcher1** she got her phone with her?

**sidekick101** planning on it.

**sidekick101 ** might. why?

**emeraldarcher1** rigged it with a traffic device about a month ago.

**emeraldarcher1** I'll find her. I promise. And whoever the hell took her will regret it.

He logged off without giving Lois a chance to say anything else, not needing to know anything else except that Chloe needed him.

* * *

Chloe groaned, her eyes flicking open as her head throbbed. "Why is it always me..." she mumbled.

She glanced around the room.

_A warehouse. Well that's original._

She realized she wasn't alone and started. There was another woman there. Recognition swept over her, and her heart sank. "Oh, Kate, I am so sorry," she said under her breath.

Kate, ex-Mayor Prinn's former secretary, looked as if she'd had a rough night of it. She was bruised and there was some dried blood on her lip. Chloe wondered nervously how long she'd been there. Kate was supposed to be under witness protection.

On yet another wall was an unconscious man that Chloe couldn't place, though he looked vaguely familiar

Chloe tugged a little at her wrists to determine what they'd tied them with. She was hooked around some sort of pipe so she couldn't move around the room. They hadn't bothered to bind her legs.

_Yes, duct tape. Amateurs..._ she grinned to herself.

_Let's see...what else do I have? _She looked around and jumped a little when Kate groaned.

"Kate?" Chloe called across the room. "Kate, hun, can you hear me? Are you all right? Wake up."

Kate groaned again and looked confusedly at Chloe. Chloe wasn't bothering to look at her though. Instead she was taking in everything within sight, all the while using her fingernails to start attempting a tear in the duct tape, not too successful so far. There was one door, and a few windows just below the ceiling, about nine and a half feet up..._maybe_ big enough to crawl through, but it would probably be a tight squeeze. It was hard to judge.

"Kate, you gotta answer me, hun. Who brought us here?"

A slightly better chance conveyed itself in the form of an equally difficult to reach ventilation shaft, but she would have heck of a time navigating it if she made it up there.

"Miss Sullivan?" Kate asked, squinting blearily at her.

"That's right, Kate, how you doin' over there? You all right?"

Momentarily giving up on awkwardly trying to curl her fingers enough to pick at the tape, she started exploring the pipe she was tied to, starting at the base.

"I've been better," Kate said unpleasantly.

She brought her knees up to her chest and slowly, very slowly, pushed her way up against the pole, running her hands all over it, feeling for anything that might help.

"Kate, what are your hands tied with?" Chloe asked.

Raising an eyebrow, Kate tugged her arms a bit to consider the possibilities. "Feels like plastic," she muttered, wincing when she tugged a little too hard. She shook her head, evidently furious. "Figures," she muttered. "Day I come out of witness protection somebody jumps me on my way home. This _sucks. _Oh my God," she said suddenly, the reality setting in on her. "Oh my God, are we going to die?" she asked, fear draining her face of color. "Oh God...oh God...my life has been so boring. I haven't even _done_ anything. I can't just _die._"

"Kate, pull it together," Chloe said. "You said plastic. Hard thin plastic or or soft sticky plastic?"

"I don't know," she said, obviously not pulling it together. "Umm...hard and thin, I guess?"

Chloe resisted cursing. A zip-tie. That would be a lot more difficult. Then something on the pipe caught her attention and she shifted her weight slightly to better examine it.

"Kate, do you know who that man is?" Chloe asked, jerking her head in indication at the still lifeless figure.

Kate craned her neck to try to see his face, her body trembling. "I...umm...oh my god..."

"What? Who is he?" Chloe asked, heart beating faster as she found the spot again. There was a bolt on the pipe that had come unscrewed just slightly and rusted, causing the head to break off. It wasn't especially sharp, but it was enough. She dragged her hands over it, wincing when she accidentally scraped her forearm. Then she started using the broken end of the bolt to saw into the duct tape.

"I think...I think that's the district attorney."

Chloe paused briefly, eyes snapping to the man in question. _Oh shit. Yep, that's him._ David Otten, DA for the city of Metropolis. Well, that more or less confirmed any doubts on the matter. _Prinn, you sorry ass of a man, I don't know how you pulled this off from prison, but so help me, I'm going to make sure your sorry hide never sees the light of day for this one._

In her overzealousness, she accidentally knocked the bolt loose and it went clattering to the floor, rolling away slightly. "Shit shit shit," she muttered, sinking back to the ground.

"Why do you think he hasn't woken up, yet?" asked the incredibly unhelpful Kate as Chloe managed to toe off one of her heels.

"I'm not sure. Might not have been knocked out by the same method. Could have been chloroform. We'll ask when he comes to. That'll be a fun chat," she muttered the last bit sarcastically.

Kate stared at Chloe, who was awkwardly stretching out across the floor. "Why do you know so much about this?"

Chloe laughed humorlessly. "Not my first time to the rodeo, Kate. Listen, I want you to pay close attention to your surroundings okay. Can you feel anything useful or anything that you could use to try to break that zip-tie on your wrists?"

Kate just sat and stared.

"_Kate!"_ Chloe emphasized, then grunted as she stretched her foot out and just barely touched the bolt with her toes.

_Why doesn't anyone ever use good old fashioned hand-cuffs anymore?_ Chloe wondered. _I could have picked open a pair of cuffs in seconds_. Her toes managed to grip the bolt and she sighed in relief as she started to lift it toward herself.

"I...I don't think so. I can't find anything."

"That's okay Kate, you just hang in there–Damn!" The sound of their third party stirring startled her and she dropped the bolt, which rolled further away.

Tongue stuck out in concentration, she slid further down until she was practically all the way on her back, groping around for the bolt.

He moaned, head rolling to one side, and Kate watched Chloe raptly.

She breathed another sigh of relief when she found the small piece of metal again, gripping it with her toes again and dragging it along the ground this time, rather than risk lifting and therefore dropping it again.

"What am I–"

"Ssshhh!" Kate hushed. "She's concentrating?"

"What?"

"Shush!" Kate met the eyes of the very confused DA and then jerked her head towards Chloe, who was slowly and carefully dragging her foot along the floor.

The man, who apparently had good sense, bit his tongue temporarily, but all of their blood ran cold when they heard a distant door slamming.

Sweat broke out on Chloe's forehead as she started pushing herself into a sitting position, foot cramping up around the rusted screw as she silently vowed to do more crunches from here on out.

"Come on, come on, come on," she muttered, panting for breath when she was upright again. Doing her best to hurry without being careless as they heard muffled voices approaching, she managed to push herself into a kneeling position, so that she could reach down and lift the bolt carefully in her fingers, immediately continuing to saw into the tape that was beginning to cut off circulation in her hands. "DA...Otten, right?"

He nodded. "When we get out of this–"

But before she could finish the door swung open and she immediately shut her mouth and turned all her attention on cutting herself loose.

A woman in her forties entered first, looking prim and polished right down to her toes. She was wearing a brown blazer and slacks, and pointy-toed, spiked heels. Her bleached hair was hair-sprayed into an immaculate bun that wouldn't have shifted in a hurricane, and her false fingernails were painted a grotesque hot pink. Her face looked like there wasn't a bit left that hadn't been injected with botox. Following shortly behind her was a man of similar age, wearing a sporting a leather jacket and faded blue jeans. He looked almost handsome except for the greedy look in his eyes and the scar that ran down his left cheek.

The woman looked coldly pleased. "Excellent. I knew there was a reason my husband trusted you. And you're sure these are the correct people. I recognize the DA, of course." She walked over to examine Kate more closely. "Ah yes. This is definitely her. But what about the other one? I've never seen her."

"That's Sullivan, all right, ma'am. Been following her for a few days to be sure."

Chloe made no visible reaction to any of this, too busy trying to cut into the duct tape, which was just beginning to fray a little.

The man cleared his throat, and the woman straightened up. "You'll get paid when the job is finished."

The man narrowed his eyes. "We agreed that I get half for bringing 'em in. I'll collect the rest later," he informed her, his expression booking no room for argument.

Sighing as if it were a major inconvenience to her, the woman reached into her purse and pulled out a fat envelope, handing it over to the man, who nodded and stuck it in the inside pocket of his jacket, then pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"Dirty whore," Kate said through her teeth.

Chloe looked at Kate in surprise and the woman whipped around wide-eyed. "What did you call me, you filthy slut?"

"I called you a dirty whore!" Kate yelled, and Chloe's jaw dropped open. She actually paused a moment in her attempt to free herself. She couldn't say she knew the former secretary all that well, but she had a strong suspicion that this was slightly atypical behavior.

The woman walked coolly over and leaned down to look Kate in the eyes. "Don't you dare call me a whore, you little bitch. My husband is in prison because of you."

Chloe blinked, then began sawing more vigorously at her binds, seeing as the attention wasn't on her for the moment.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Kate spit in Mrs. Prinn's face. Stunned for only a moment, Mrs. Prinn lifted a hand and soundly slapped Kate across the cheek.

"Now see here!" Otten started up, jumping to Kate's defense pointlessly.

"Oh, shut up, you!" Prinn snapped, turning her sharp eyes on him. "I think you've said about enough, you pompous, stuck-up lawyer. You're almost as bad as she is." She paused thoughtfully before turning a slow, burning look in Chloe's direction, who promptly slowed her work on the tape, which was beginning to make the smallest bit of progress.

The man by the door took a puff of his cigarette, looking mildly amused.

"Although I have to say I don't despise either of them as much as you, you nosy tramp. You're the one who went sticking her nose where it didn't belong."

"Going to kill me?" Chloe challenged, unfazed. Anything to keep them talking and give her more time.

Mrs. Prinn smiled coldly. "Me? I'm sure I don't know what you mean. I was never here. Was I, Jackson?" she asked her companion.

Jackson smirked, tapping the ash off the end of his cigarette. "Course not."

"You see, Miss Sullivan," Mrs. Prinn continued, "I don't get my hands dirty unless I have to. I was never here, and I don't know a thing about your tragic disappearance." She turned to Jackson again, voice hard, "Kill her last. The mousy secretary first." With which statement she headed for the door, pausing only for a moment, "And feel free to take your time about it," she added before vanishing to them.

Eyes widening, Chloe began seriously hacking away at the tape on her wrists. She'd only managed to get it about a third of the way loose.

Jackson didn't seem particularly hurried to do anything other than finish his cigarette.

"Now listen," Otten was speaking up again, and Chloe had to spare a moment to appreciate his courage. He didn't look remotely frightened. "Be reasonable. You could walk away from all this just as clean as she did, and you've got half the money already. You're better off this way. You get your money and you don't have the murders on your head."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. He was half-convincing. Meanwhile, Kate, poor thing, had tears streaming down her face.

Jackson, however, was unmoved. He smirked at Jackson, and any traces of good looks left his face entirely. "You honestly believe I've never killed anyone before this? Boy, you're pretty dumb for a DA. And just so you know, I'm good at what I do. Never failed to complete a job."

Unable to twist her fingers far enough to continue using the bolt, Chloe set it carefully on the ground and started yanking against the tape as discreetly as she could. But the trouble with duct tape is that it doesn't tare easily. Mostly it just stretches and bunches up, making it even more difficult to tear into it.

Jackson flicked the cigarette in Otten's direction and Otten shuffled rapidly to prevent it from lighting his clothes on fire. Jackson stood up straight again and looked around the room. "Now let's see...taking my time about it...I know what order to go in, but how to kill each of you..." He paced the room, obviously enjoying himself. He cocked the barrel of his gun and pointed it at Kate, who whimpered, trembling as tears poured from her red eyes. He pressed the gun against her forehead and Chloe averted her eyes, bracing herself for the sound of the shot.

"Please...please," Kate begged, eyes squeezed shut in terror. But the shot didn't come. He tapped the barrel of the gun against her forehead.

"Yeah. I think I'll shoot you in the head, sweetheart. Might improve your looks a little." He lifted the gun and went back to his slow pace of the room. "See, Mayor Prinn and I had a little understanding. Good friends we were, so I gotta say, I wasn't too thrilled with all of you messing up the system the way you did."

"You filthy piece of slime," Otten ground out. Chloe was beginning to like him.

"Oh, don't worry, I plan to kill you in an equally mundane way, lawyer. I think I'll just pop one right through your chest. Or would you prefer the forehead as well?" he asked curiously, shifting the aim of his gun from Otten's chest to right between his eyes.

_Come on, _Chloe pleaded. _Come on, just tear already. Come on. _She shifted slightly and let out a puff of breath, drawing Jackson's attention to her. "And you, Miss Sullivan. Well," he grinned vindictively, "since we're going to be having all that alone time...well," he said, fingering the barrel of his gun almost affectionately, "I think we'll spend a little quality time together." He walked over to her and shoved a foot between her legs, kicking them apart. Chloe's heart started pounding.

_Come on._

"And after we're done. First," he aimed his gun right at the junction between her legs, I'm going to shoot you straight through your–ARGH!"

He never finished the sentence, instead crying out in pain as an arrow buried itself in his hand, causing him to drop his gun.

Chloe gasped in relief at the sight of the Green Arrow dropping down from the ventilation shaft. But then her brow furrowed slightly. Something was not right.

_Shouldn't he be throwing out some quirky remark about now?_ she wondered with nervous humor as she listened to her instincts and began working on the tape again.

"Oh thank God," Otten muttered in relief, while Kate sobbed.

The archer walked over to the still shocked Jackson, grabbed him by the shoulder and punched him in the face.

"You," he informed as soon as his fist cracked across Jackson's face, "will never," he landed another hard punch, "go near her." Another punch. "Again."

"Hey!" Otten cried out in protest. "That's enough!"

"Arrow, stop!" Chloe warned, expression full of horror as she wrenched desperately at the last bit of tape binding her hands.

But the archer wasn't listening. Blind with fury at what he'd overheard in the vents, he threw blow after blow at Jackson, whose face was now covered in blood.

"Stop it!" Otten began struggling to break his own bonds, eager to prevent it from going any further, and Kate, who had finally had more than she could take, passed out.

"Filthy...disgusting...scum..." He continued beating Jackson to a pulp.

All of a sudden the last sinews of the tape broke and Chloe tore free, flinging herself forward to stop him. "Stop it! Stop it, you're killing him!" She grabbed hold of his raised fist, ready to land the next blow and threw all her weight against him, attempting to thwart the next blow. She shoved herself between him and Jackson, eyes wide with fear as she stopped him. "I'm fine," she assured him. "I'm fine. He didn't even touch me. Just stop," she told him.

His chest was heaving as his fury dissipated at the sight of her. Horror for his own actions began sinking in on him and he unclenched his fist from Jackson's shirt, and the unconscious man slumped to the floor in front of him.

Chloe was staring at him with fear in her eyes, hands gripping his arm, which he realized was still raised to strike. He dropped it and backed a step away from her, his stomach churning.

Dr. Black's words about aggression and hostility flashed through his mind.

He staggered back another step, eyes widening beneath his glasses.

Chloe turned from him and sank to the ground, placing her thumb against Jackson's neck to find his pulse. After a pause, she found it, and sighed in relief. "He'll live," she said, rising again. She turned back to him. "The others," she said softly, reminding him that he wasn't finished here.

Swallowing tightly, he headed toward the still unconscious Kate, and used an arrow to cut her free. Then he did the same for Otten, who looked unsure of himself, as if he were on the border of saying something, but thought better of it each time it reached the tip of his tongue. Resigning himself, he stood up and looked Oliver square in the face.

"Thank you."

Oliver nodded. "You take her," he indicated Kate. "Go to the police."

"And Miss Sullivan?" Otten asked, glancing at Chloe.

"I'll take care of her."

But Otten didn't move, his eyes still on Chloe for confirmation.

Chloe hesitated for the barest second but nodded. "I'll be fine. Thank you. You just make sure that Darlene Prinn gets a cell right next to her husband's, yeah?" she grinned.

Otten wasn't entirely fooled by the smile she put on, but he accepted it. He walked over to Kate and lifted her in his arms, carrying her out of the room.

Chloe watched them go, and then turned to her former captor. Disgust etched on her face, she dragged him over to the same post she'd been tied to moments ago and leaned him up against it. Then she undid her belt and used it to bind his hands, just in case he woke up before the police got there.

_However unlikely that may be,_ she added grimly in her mind. She tried not to stare at the man's battered face, but the image of her hero beating him senseless refused to cease playing in her mind.

Finally, she stood up, nothing left to do but face him. She turned to him. "What did you take?"

His defenses rose.

"I'm serious. Just tell me."

"I didn't–"

"I know drugs when I see them!" she cut him off, her voice cracking, tears filling her eyes in spite of herself. "Look at him!" she gestured the body covered in slowly drying blood.

He swallowed, guilt twisting his gut as he tried to choke back the defensive anger he could feel building. "I–" but he couldn't get the apology out. He could barely look at her.

"I trust you," she said suddenly, and his eyes darted to her. "I trust you and I–" she paused, "Don't take it again. I don't care what it was. Whatever it was, don't take it again."

He wanted to explain, to point out that if it weren't for the drug, he would be dead. He wouldn't have been there to save her, but he could see by the look in her eyes that she wouldn't care. She was looking at him as if she'd never seen him before, and it was frightening.

At length he nodded, once, and Chloe's body visibly slumped in relief.

"Thank you," she whispered. Then she walked away from him, fighting every fibre in her being that wanted to collapse against him, hold him, let him comfort her. Instead, she walked out of the warehouse, leaving him behind rather than accept the ride she knew he would be more than happy to give. A tear fell from her eyes as she realized he probably thought she was shunning him, or punishing him, but she wasn't. She knew that the moment she let him touch her, it would be all over. She'd be right back in love with him, with no hope of ever getting out.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Dear A.A., I would have replied to your last review in person, but it wasn't signed, unfortunately, so I'm replying this way: Sorry, there's not much sexual tension in this chapter. Unfortunate, but true. However, I'm working on 18 & 19 and...well, good things to those who wait. ;)**

**Love&Stuff,**

**Blue**

* * *

_Tell me how many flowers have to die__  
Before you give this love another try_.  
_ I've asked you to forgive me at least 9 dozen times_.  
_ Tell me how many flowers have to die._

Flowers  
Brad Paisley

–17–

"Yeah, Lo, I'm fine. I promise," Chloe repeated the next morning. She had called Lois first thing the night before when she got back, but her cousin still needed some reassurances, apparently. After calling Lois the night before Chloe had responded to the voice mail waiting from the police to confirm Kate and David's story. After that she sent an apologetic e-mail to Oliver for standing him up, not explaining the reason, only that she'd been "tied up," but adding that she'd like to reschedule.

Today she was taking off from work. She'd been unable to sleep the night before, so in addition to sending in her piece on the air show, she'd managed to conjure up a full piece on her ordeal, though she conveniently listed herself in the article as "a reporter," leaving out her name and the fact that she worked for the _Daily Planet._ She wrote headlines; she didn't make them.

As a result (coupled with the knowledge that she'd been through an ordeal), Perry had been more than happy to give her the day off.

"Get some rest, Sullivan. Cooperate with the police on whatever they need you for, and don't let me see you again until Monday."

"Perry, I don't need the whole weekend!"

"You got me my Green Arrow piece and nearly got yourself killed in the process. You can afford to take a short vacation. You're no good to me dead."

With which he'd hung up on her, leaving Chloe to brew herself an exceptionally large pot of coffee.

Mug in hand, she went to her computer to see if there was a response from Oliver. Instead there was an e-mail from the Green Arrow. She swallowed tightly at the sight of it.

**from: emeraldarch... subject: (none)**

_I'm sorry._

_Glad you're safe._

–_Archer_

She sighed when she read it. She wasn't sure what to say to him. She wanted to be sure that _he_ was okay, but she didn't know where to begin. Somehow she had the vaguest suspicion that e-mailing him to ask whether he were all right would somehow result in a confession of her undying love.

_Which would be bad_, she reminded herself.

"Oh, why can't he just tell me who he is?" she whined in frustration.

As soon as she said it, there was a buzz from downstairs. She walked over to the intercom to answer it. "Hello?"

"I've got a delivery for Miss Sullivan?"

"I'll be right down for it."

"I can come up, Miss."

"No, I'd rather come down."

The last thing she felt like doing was having some strange delivery man coming up to her apartment. She was still a bit nerve-wracked from the other day.

Taser in her back pocket, she trotted downstairs, and opened the door, surprised when she found a man standing on her doorstep with a large vase of flowers, and not just any vase of flowers, a vase of multi-colored tulips with a large green bow wrapped around it.

She signed for them and he handed them over. She searched the foliage and called after the man.

"Wait! There's no card. Who sent them?"

He shrugged. "Got me. You must have a secret admirer," he told her before climbing in his truck.

Chloe stared at the green bow. "Secret admirer my ass," she mumbled. _Bit much, don't you think, Arrow?_

She sighed, shaking her head as she carried the arrangement back up the stairs, trying not to enjoy the flowers too much.

* * *

"Dude...what's your damage?"

Oliver looked up to see Hal standing in the doorway of the elevator. He laughed weakly. "One of these days, you're going to tell me how you get up here without my being notified."

Hal didn't look amused. "Are you all right?" he asked, concern on his face.

Oliver truly did look ill. His face was pale, and there was a light sheen of cold sweat over his body. He put on a brave smile. "Just...stomach virus."

Hal walked over to his friend and in spite of Oliver's protest, he grabbed his head and examined his bloodshot eyes. "Like hell," he said, releasing him roughly. "I'm basically an intergalactic _police_ _officer_, Oliver. I know from strung-out, and _you_ are strung out." He glared at his friend in disgust, heading to the kitchen to get him some water. "You idiot," he scolded, "What did you take and how much?"

Oliver sighed, rubbing his face. "Experimental medicine. I didn't know it was...well, no Dr. Black tried to warn me. It was developmental and she said the side-effects were still too risky. I didn't listen. I was already on the stuff."

Hal frowned. "What was it, though?"

Dragging his hand over his face again Oliver looked at his best friend, accepting the glass of water he was offering with a slightly shaky hand. He stared into it for a moment before setting it on the coffee table. "Hal," he said, "Two nights ago I was shot in the chest–"

"What?"

"The chest, Hal. I was shot in the chest. I've been funding research on a healing drug and I had a few samples. I managed by some miracle to haul myself back to my apartment and inject myself with a dose."

"But..." Hal frowned, not quite comprehending.

"Look," Oliver said, pulling his shirt up to show the spot where he'd been shot.

"I can't see anything. And you say you were shot?"

"Right here," he pointed.

Hal whistled. "Two days ago? Well...shit, there's not even a scar." He stared in amazement until Oliver lowered his shirt again. Finally he walked over to one of the armchairs and sat down, massaging his temple. "So, side-effects, huh?"

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, well, other than what I'd call an 'addictive quality,'" Oliver joked humorlessly, "I believe the terms the good doctor used were 'aggression' and 'violent tendencies.'"

Hal looked up sharply. "What happened?"

Oliver leaned his forearms on his knees, dropping his head in shame.

"You didn't–"

"No, I didn't kill anyone. I just tried to."

There was a long, dense silence. "I understand Chloe Sullivan was kidnapped last night."

Oliver nodded.

"I see."

They didn't say anything else for a long while.

"So we gonna talk about this?" Hal asked.

"No idea what you're talking about."

"Uh huh. So it's an absolute coincidence that when I come into town and meet the infamous Miss Sullivan, I discover that she's completely gorgeous. And it's a coincidence that when I planted a few e-mails about how I _might_–"

"Planted?"

"–Don't interrupt–how I _might_ be interested in her, all of a sudden you're flying out of Russia so fast there's a trail of fire in your wake. And it's _further_ just a coincidence that in her articles she sounds almost like she _knows_ the Green Arrow."

Oliver stared blankly and Hal rolled his eyes.

"Okay, enough with the impotent act. Now, I wouldn't say I was faking interest in Chloe, because that's not true. I really like her. She's a great girl that I would very much like to be friends with. And if I weren't under the impression that my best friend is secretly in love with her, I would probably be interested in her as more than a friend. That being said, I _may_ have led you to believe that I was romantically interested for your own benefit. So let's talk about how you didn't even tell me to back off, you pansy-ass idiot!"

Oliver's mouth fell open slightly.

Hal nodded. "Great. That's excellent. Man, you are lucky it was me and not some other guy." He raised his eyebrow at his friend. "She's hot. You're aware of that, right?"

Oliver was still trying to catch up. "Wait. You..."

"Played with your emotions? Yep," Hal answered matter-of-factly, leaning back in his seat, his face smug. "And I'd do it again. You're no fun when you're emo." He noted Oliver's strung-out state and his eyes narrowed. _"Obviously."_

"But–"

"How did I know?" Hal smirked. "Okay, let's reiterate the part where I'm your _best friend_," he said, forming the last words slowly like Oliver was going to be quizzed on their spelling. "I know stuff. For example, I know when you stop dating altogether. I know when your name shows up in the paper, particularly your alter-ego's name. I know when some female reporter is writing with so much insight it's like she knows you. I also know when I meet a woman who's hung up on you. You do realize if I was a chick, I would be the best friend that you need to marry, right?"

Oliver made a face. "Dude."

"Too much?"

"Kinda."

Hal shrugged. "The point stays. Anyway, what the hell are you doing?" he demanded. "Why haven't you...I don't know, what do guys do now? Give them our class rings? Get his and hers T-shirts? If you were five you could give her your pudding cup at lunch–"

"She doesn't know."

Hal raised an eyebrow. "What, that you're Green Arrow? Yeah, well that's generally a better topic for if you're settled into the relationship and she's not a reporter. I don't see–"

"She doesn't know I'm Oliver Queen."

"What?" Hal deadpanned.

"She doesn't know–" Oliver spoke slowly, "–that I'm Oliver Queen."

Hal stared at him for a full minute, then put his hand over his mouth. He snorted.

"It's not funny."

A mix between a cough and a laugh sputtered out and Hal spoke through his hand, "No, absolutely not funny. Not at all."

"Shut up."

But the silent giggling eventually turned into full-on guffaws, Hal no longer able to hold it back. "You mean Chloe Sullivan's relationship is with Green Arrow." His face turned pale. "Oh, dude, it's not leap year is it? You know that Carol tried to propose to Lantern on Leap Year once?"

"Can we not compare Chloe to your psychopath ex-girlfriend-gone-supervillainess? Yeah? Thanks, that'd be great."

That sobered Hal fairly well. "Right."

"Yeah," Oliver sighed, dropping his head back on the couch, exhausted. "Man I feel like shit," he said.

"Drink more of that water. It's good for you."

"So," Oliver said, leaning forward to reach for the glass, "any advice on the stupidity of my situation?"

"Yeah. Tell her."

Oliver chuckled ruefully. "Uh huh."

"Dead serious."

"I can't. She barely likes me as myself. I'll scare her off if I don't give her a chance to get to know me."

"And what exactly are you doing about letting her get to know you?" Hal asked, unconvinced.

Oliver looked sheepish. "I sent her flowers today?"

Hal smacked his hand to his face. "Aw...jeez..."

"Look, I'm strung out, like you said!" Oliver exclaimed defensively. "I can't exactly see her when I'm like this." He took a deep, steadying breath. "But I'm feeling better. And I'm going to call her tonight and...something."

"Something?"

"Yeah, I haven't really worked out a plan past calling her, yet."

Hal dropped his head. "You're hopeless."

* * *

"So, I saw you talking to Oliver Queen yesterday," Lois slipped in casually.

Chloe sighed. It was impressive. Lois had successfully managed to wait until she was painting Chloe's toenails to drop that bomb, meaning that Chloe had no means of escape.

"And I further saw," Lois continued, "that there is a very large vase of your favorite flowers on the counter by your computer."

"Yep," was all Chloe said, and Lois looked up.

"Oh come on," she whined. "Are they from him? What's going on there? Pink, green, or orange?" she added, holding up the various colors now that she'd done the base coat.

"Orange," Chloe said.

"Not green?" Lois wiggled her eyebrows.

Chloe snorted. _"Orange,"_ she repeated.

"If you insist," Lois shrugged, setting down the other colors and unscrewing the cap for the orange bottle. "Now go on. What are the flowers about?"

Chloe glanced at the vibrant bouquet and chewed her lip. How much to tell? She decided that the story of a Green Arrow hopped up on steroids was one best kept to herself. So far she'd only mentioned to Lois that the archer had rescued her, but nothing about the nature of the rescue. "Actually," she said, "there wasn't a card, but I think they're from the Green Arrow."

"What? Why?"

"Well, he knows my favorite flower, and the bow is green, so I feel like it's kind of obvious."

"No, I mean why's he sending you flowers? Oh God," Lois narrowed her eyes, "you're not–"

"No, Lo, I'm not sleeping with him anymore." _However much I wish I were. Ugh._

"Good. Because we established that that was bad." She frowned. "I think. Wait, why did we establish that was bad again?"

"Because it couldn't last," Chloe grumbled.

"Right." Lois paused thoughtfully before switching feet. "That sucks."

"Yeah, well, so does my life," Chloe joked.

"Well back to Oliver–" Chloe's cell phone started going off "–what's going on there? I didn't even know he was back in Metropolis."

"Neither did I," Chloe said, picking her way from the sofa through the magazines and mani/pedi supplies over to her counter where her phone was buzzing. "He just got back. Hang on, Lo. Sorry, I'll be quick," she promised before answering her cell. "Hello?"

"_Chloe? It's Oliver."_

Chloe's cheeks tinged. "Oh, hi. How are you?"

"Who is it?" Lois hissed, scrambling over to stand next to Chloe and try to overhear.

"_I'm good. I was a bit concerned about you. The article in the paper this morning didn't mention you by name, but I had my suspicions..."_

"Oh, that," Chloe felt embarrassed. "No, I'm fine. Wasn't the first time, probably won't be the last," she joked.

"_Let's hope not,"_ he said dubiously.

"First time what?" Lois asked, and Chloe silently tried to push her away.

"_Did you get the flowers I sent?"_

"Those were from you?" she asked in surprise.

"The flowers? Wait, who is that?" Lois demanded.

Chloe quickly covered the mouthpiece of the phone and whispered Oliver's name, causing Lois's eyes to widen.

"_Yeah, they were from me. Guess I should have added a card,"_ he chuckled thoughtfully.

"How did you know tulips are my favorite?"

"_Lucky guess," _he answered slyly.

"He knew they're your favorite?" Lois whispered, and Chloe shook her head in response, mouthing 'guess.'

"_So, I guess we're both even as far as canceling on one another goes,"_ Oliver continued. _"So I was wondering if you're free tomorrow?"_

Chloe covered the phone again. "He wants to reschedule." Then, speaking to Oliver, "I'm sure that would be fine. When tomorrow?"

"_Seven?"_

"Where's he taking you?"

"Seven's probably fine, but where are we going?" she asked, grinning.

"_Come on, you've held out this long. Don't get too excited. It's nothing big. I'm just really enjoying knowing something you don't."_

"So we're not going anywhere crazy, right?" Chloe confirmed warily. "Because seriously, I'm more of a hotdogs and baseball kind of girl." She paused. "Well, I don't really follow baseball, so that might be a lie, but you get the idea?"

Lois made a face at her.

"Stop it," Chloe hissed to her.

"Baseball?" Lois mouthed, looking at her like she was crazy.

Chloe just shrugged helplessly as Oliver chuckled on the other end.

"_No, I got that,"_ he agreed. _"We're not doing anything all that special, I promise."_

"So _why_ can't you tell me?" Chloe whined.

"_Because you're too much fun to torture,"_ he teased.

"I'm hanging up now," Chloe warned.

"_Goodbye, Ch__loe Sullivan. I'll see you tomorrow."_

Chloe hung up, and Lois leaned back and folded her arms. "Well," she said amusedly, "that went well."


	18. Chapter 18

_Stars fading but I linger on dear_  
_ Still craving your kiss_  
_ I'm longin' to linger till dawn dear_  
_ Just saying this_

_ Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you_  
_ Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you_  
_ But in your dreams whatever they be_  
_ Dream a little dream of me_

Dream a Little Dream of Me  
Louis Armstrong

–18–

"Chloe Sullivan."

Chloe paused in her tracks as the sound of her name reached her from behind. She glanced behind her on the sidewalk and saw Hal Jordan jogging slightly to catch up with her. She grinned happily. "Hal! What a surprise." She glanced at her watch. "Shouldn't you be heading for the show or something?"

He shrugged. "Not for a few hours. Now, this makes three times that you've run into me–"

"I didn't actually run into you this time, though."

"–and I think it's about time you accepted my offer for coffee."

Chloe laughed. "You know, I'd really love to, but–"

"This sounds like it's going to be a lame excuse," he teased.

She sighed good-humoredly. "_But_ I think you should know I'm..." She paused, almost frowning a little, unsure of herself, "I'm _kind_ of seeing someone."

"I know," Hal said pleasantly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You know?" Chloe asked dubiously.

"I know," he confirmed, amused.

"How do you know?"

"The guy's a friend of mine."

She looked startled. "You know Oliver?"

Hal gave her a sly look, smirking. "Now did I say that?" he asked.

Chloe stood stunned. "Wait. What?"

"Oh look," Hal played up his distraction, "_coffee._" With which remark, he headed across the street, vanishing into the coffee shop and leaving a very stunned Chloe standing in the middle of the sidewalk, her eyebrows vanished into her hairline.

When Chloe had collected herself enough to enter the shop, she found Hal sitting in a corner waiting on her, looking perfectly calm. Cautiously, she walked over and sat down across from him, noting that they were relatively far away from any other customers, and that the noise in the café was loud enough that they were unlikely to be overheard.

Put simply, her reporter senses were tingling. She was starting to question whether her run-ins with him had really been coincidences.

"So," Hal said, when she sat down across from him. "Is a cappuccino all right? I wasn't sure if you were one of those girls who orders eight different kinds of syrup and a massive dose of whipped cream in her coffee, but I figured a cappuccino was a relatively safe choice." He waved at the waitress who was looking around for him, two mugs in her hands. She smiled nervously at him and brought the coffees over, setting one down in front of each of them, obviously flustered by Hal's charming grin.

"Is there...um...did you need anything else?" she asked shyly.

Hal shook his head. "We're good, thanks." He smiled broadly at her, and she blushed bashfully before disappearing.

Chloe said nothing. She debated not touching the cappuccino before realizing that the idea of her snubbing coffee was laughable. So she silently lifted the mug to her lips and sipped some of the foam off the top.

"Aw that's cute...they sprinkle chocolate on it in the shape of pictures. Mine's a heart, what's yours?"

Chloe glared at him.

He chuckled. "Down to business. Got it. So, tell me Chloe, how long were you seeing the Green Arrow?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He chuckled again. "I told you, Chloe. I know the guy. Actually, if we're getting down to it, I know Oliver, as well," he shrugged, a cryptic expression on his face. "But the question here is about the Green Arrow."

Chloe's mind was operating at a hundred miles an hour "How do you know a superhero?" she asked.

"How do you?" he replied immediately, smirking.

Chloe remembered her theory at dinner the other night, that Hal knew who the Green Lantern was. Suddenly a new suspicion donned on her. "You're–"

"The Green Lantern?" he said casually, taking a sip from his coffee. "Yep."

Chloe just stared at him. Then she looked around wildly, not certain whether she was making sure that no one had overheard him or that Ashton Kutcher wasn't going to jump out and inform her that she'd just been Punk'd. Neither one being an immediate concern, she turned back to Hal, who looked as calm as ever. "Assuming it's the truth, why on earth would you tell me that?"

"Well let's just establish off the bat that not only is it the truth, but you believe me. You probably started suspecting something when I went on a hero tangent the other night." He shrugged a shoulder sheepishly. "I got a bit carried away, I guess."

"You _guess?_" she asked incredulously. "Look, what is this about? Is this the part of the movie where you warn me to stay away from your friend or something? Because I've got news for you, I haven't spoken to him in weeks." _Unless you count getting rescued by him the other night, but we didn't exactly have a heart-to-heart._

Hal smiled softly. "I know you were kidnapped the other day, and I know he rescued you, Chloe. Look, you can relax. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable or anything. I just want to talk."

"Talk?" she echoed disbelievingly. "I don't get it."

"Well," Hal said, setting his mug down again. "You now know that I'm the Green Lantern. Now that you've got that information, I can guarantee that evidence won't be that difficult to dig up in order to prove it. So now what?"

Chloe frowned as his meaning settled in on her. "What the hell?" she demanded. "Seriously, _what the hell_? I think you're the second person to recently suggest how untrustworthy I am in the last couple of days. Why is it you just assume I'm going to sell you out?" she asked irately, trying to keep her temper under control.

But Hal was unfazed. He just smirked at her and she huffed, still fuming.

"What?"

He gestured at her. "You're the least intimidating angry person I've ever met."

"That's because I'm not trying to threaten you; I'm just insulted."

"Well, you can relax. If I honestly thought you were going to sell me out, I wouldn't have told you, now would I?"

She opened her mouth to retort but then closed it, confused. She frowned for a moment before rubbing her temple. "I am trying very hard to figure out why we're having this conversation."

He nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm being cryptic, but you're very entertaining when you're upset."

She glared at him while he took another sip of his coffee.

"I'm telling you for a couple of reasons. And I'm not doing it lightly. I'm taking a leap of faith here, Chloe, and I hope I don't live to regret that." He paused a moment, giving her a chance to say something if she wanted to, but Chloe didn't speak up. "He's in love with you."

Chloe frowned, her stomach reacting oddly to his statement. "Who?"

"You know who."

Chloe shook her head, frustrated. "He let me go. Maybe he does..." she couldn't quite finish the statement, "_maybe. _But he chose to let me date someone else rather than tell me who he is. And I don't care if that's because he doesn't trust me or because he's trying to protect me. Either way, that's how it is. He'd rather see me with someone else than tell me who he is."

Hal let her get all this out, assuming it had been pent up for a while. When she was done, he said simply, "Don't be so sure."

"Excuse me," Chloe deadpanned, more than unamused by his determination to drag her back through all of her Green-Arrow-related insecurities.

Hal shrugged. "All I'm saying is don't count him out, yet."

Chloe snorted, getting more frustrated by the minute. "This is ridiculous. And you know what? He hasn't exactly been knocking down my door to stop me from seeing someone else. I have a date tonight," she said, as if she needed to prove that she was moving on, "with someone who I think might be really great." _Where did that come from? A week ago I didn't even know if I liked him._

"That's good."

"I–what?"

"I said that's good. I said you shouldn't count him out, but I also think he needs a fire lit under him, and I think the reality of seeing you with someone else might be just the ticket."

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to use someone else to make him jealous. I would never treat someone that way."

Hal raised his hands defensively. "I'm not saying you should. All I'm doing is encouraging you to go out with someone else because our friend needs a reality check. If he doesn't wise up and someone else gets the girl," he raised his mug toward her in a toast, "then it's all for the best."

Chloe sipped her coffee thoughtfully, not sure whether she had an argument for that. Finally she sighed. "I'm still not sure what we're doing here."

"I told you who I am partly to test you, I'll admit."

Chloe didn't say anything, unsurprised by that.

"I wanted to see how you'd handle it. And I gotta say," he smirked, "you're one weird girl."

Chloe smirked as well. "I take it as a compliment."

"But I also wanted to make sure you could be trusted. I told you he's a friend. We go back a long time, and, personally, I've _done_ the whole evil ex-girlfriend-betrayal thing, and I'd rather he didn't go through that." He gave her a serious look. "I hope I'm not wrong about you."

She nodded, understanding. "You can trust me."

"I hope so."

She glanced at her watch briefly. She'd been planning to pick up a few groceries that morning before going to meet Lois, rather than stopping for a chat with the Green Lantern. _God, my life is weird_. It looked like stocking her fridge was going to have to take a backseat. They were silent for a short time before Chloe realized there was something she needed to ask him about. "So you're close, you and he?"

"You could say that."

"What happened to him the other night?" she looked up from the depths of her coffee, wanting to catch his reaction. Hal's expression looked grim. He obviously knew what she was talking about, but he didn't respond right away.

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully.

"We both know. You said you knew I was kidnapped and that he rescued me. That means you know that...that something was wrong with him. What happened?"

Hal inhaled deeply, choosing his words carefully. "It's not..._exactly_ what you think."

"Exactly?" she questioned.

"He screwed up. And he knows it. I think he scared himself almost as much as he probably scared you," he said, studying her shrewdly.

"But...he's okay?" she asked finally.

Hal nodded. "He's better. He's beating himself up a lot." He paused. "As he should. But he won't be taking any further trips down the rabbit hole, I assure you."

Chloe nodded, relieved. "Good." But she just couldn't let it go. "Why, though? Why would he take something that would do that to him?"

Hal sighed wearily. "A guy like him...he'll never admit this of course, but I think he has issues dealing with his own mortality. In his defense–which, admittedly, there isn't a lot to be had–he didn't intentionally wake up one morning and say, 'I think I'll take drugs today.' There were...extenuating circumstances. He didn't realize what he was taking, and once someone warned him..."

"He was too far gone to listen," Chloe finished for him, throat tight as she recalled his fury against her kidnapper. She blinked the image away as best she could.

Hal nodded. "Pretty much. But I can promise you it's over now."

"Okay," was all she could think to say. She was relieved to hear the words, but more than anything she wanted to be able to put the whole incident permanently behind her, to never relive that horrible night ever again. Now that she knew for certain that he was okay, she felt like she might finally be able to do that. She checked her watch again. She was meeting Lois in just ten minutes. She needed to go. "As..._enlightening_ as this conversation has been, I have to go." She pulled her purse on her shoulder and started to stand up as Hal did the same. Then she paused and glanced up at him. "Would you...tell him that he can still talk to me if he wants? I never asked for radio silence, and...I miss him," she added finally, not quite able to meet Hal's eyes when she said it. "Just...tell him that, please?"

Hal smiled gently at her, and for a moment she realized how lucky the Green Arrow was to have a friend like him.

* * *

Chloe was sitting in the car beside Oliver, her mind a thousand miles away as she reeled over all that Hal had told her that morning over coffee. Lois had gotten fed up with Chloe's distracted state halfway through their shopping trip and then determined that what Chloe needed was someone to help her decide what to wear that night.

As Chloe had insisted repeatedly that Oliver told her jeans and a T-shirt were fine, Lois had sorted through Chloe's entire closet, eventually pulling out a soft plum-colored cashmere sweater with a scooped-neckline, a pair of dark-wash jeans, and Chloe's amethyst stud earrings.

"Comfy but sexy," Lois had declared the outfit when Chloe modeled it for her.

Oliver, in the driver's seat, was trying to stop thinking about all the things he wasn't supposed to say because he wasn't supposed to know them.

_Screw it,_ he thought suddenly. _I should just tell her._ He nodded absently as he started building up his courage. _And she's conveniently strapped into a moving car, which means she'd have to hear me out. So that's nice..._

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and got momentarily distracted by how gorgeous she was, and how much he wanted to pull the car over and pull her into his lap and–

_Focus. Focus. Okay, just out with it._

He opened his mouth, prepared for whatever form his confession was going to take on when she spoke first.

"So are you finally going to tell me what we're doing?" she asked with a grin, turning to look at him, returning from whatever far-off place had occupied her mind before that.

Oliver laughed, almost relieved to be sidetracked. "You really can't hold out any longer?" he teased.

She shook her head, smirking.

He sighed dramatically. "I'm almost worried you're going to be disappointed," he said.

She laughed. "Oh my God, just tell me!"

"Movies and takeout."

She gaped at him. "You're kidding."

He shook his head, holding back a laugh at her response. "Nope."

She shoved his shoulder. "_That's_ what you couldn't tell me?" she demanded. "That's the big surprise?"

"Well, in my defense, I never said it was big. I just said it was a surprise."

She read his face carefully, as if to make sure he wasn't playing a joke on her. When she felt satisfied that he was, in fact, telling the truth, she flopped back in her seat and breathed a sigh of relief. "Well thank God."

He laughed again. "For what?"

She shook her head. "I was so worried that whatever we were doing was going to require energy on my part."

He gave her a funny look and she turned red.

"Not like that!" she hurried, "I just...ugh." She dropped her head back again, closing her eyes. "You can't imagine how exhausted I am," she said finally.

Oliver felt a pang as he glanced at her. She'd been through a lot over the last few days. "How are you, by the way?"

"Tired?" she suggested lightly.

He raised an eyebrow at her, unamused. "And the truth?"

She sighed. "Well, I _am_ tired," she admitted. "But I'm okay, really. I'm just a little..." she trailed off, searching for a good word.

"Angry?" he asked.

She looked surprised. "Why would I be angry?"

_Crap, _he thought. "I guess...I don't know, you seemed like maybe more than just the kidnapping upset you," he tried, hoping he didn't sound like he knew too much about it as he pulled into the parking garage.

She glanced at him in surprise. It was almost a little _too_ insightful. "How did you know?"

Oliver swallowed nervously and got out of the car to get the door for her, his mind reeling for a good answer. "Lucky guess," he said simply, as if he were purposefully being coy.

Climbing out of the car, she gave him a partly suspicious look, but eventually gave in. "I just...I guess you could say I had an argument with a friend. I was worried about him. But I think he's okay now," she added thoughtfully.

"Yeah?" he asked, heart-rate picking up uncomfortably. "You talk to him since then?"

She shook her head. "I've been meaning to, but...I don't know, things were a little strained. Wait, I'm sorry–" she paused looking around her, "–do you have _your own garage level_?" she asked, realizing there were only about three cars in the entire space as well as what looked like a motorcycle with a cover draped over it.

He smirked. "Don't be ridiculous." He pressed the button for the private elevator. "I have my own garage," he teased. "The really fun cars are one level down." He laughed as she stood gaping and grabbed her sleeve to tug her into the elevator. "So this friend of yours," he asked when the doors slid closed. "If you haven't spoken to him, how do you know he's okay?"

Still mildly distracted by the idea of a man with enough vehicles to fill an entire multi-level garage, Chloe answered absently, "He...sent me an e-mail and he sounded like he was better. And a..." she hesitated thoughtfully, "_mutual friend_ told me that he was okay."

Oliver frowned. Then realization donned on him. _No...he wouldn't._ "Mutual friend?" he asked dryly.

Chloe nodded. "Mmhmm."

"Interesting," he said flatly, before deciding to switch the subject. "So what are you hungry for? I haven't ordered yet because I wasn't sure what you'd want."

She grinned. "And whose fault is that?" she teased.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well," she said. "If you would have just _told_ me what we were doing, you could have asked days ago what kind of food I like, and there could have been hot takeout waiting for me."

"Waiting for you?" he asked when the doors reopened. "What about me?"

"You can have the leftovers," she smirked.

He laughed, "Oh, I see how it is. Fine," he pulled out his phone, walking into the kitchen, "then I'm ordering whatever I want and you don't get any input at all," he taunted, dialing a number as she laughed at his childishness.

"Fine," she said. "I get to pick the movie," she challenged.

"Uh huh."

* * *

An hour later found Chloe leaning comfortably against Oliver on the couch, the light of the TV flickering across their faces, empty Thai takeout boxes on the table in front of them.

_My gosh, he's comfortable. _ Chloe thought vaguely. It had been so long since the last time she'd been with the Green Arrow. It felt so nice to be next to someone. She wasn't sure how she had gotten so comfortable around him so quickly. For a moment she'd stopped to think about how weird it was, how she should feel much more reserved and even a little nervous around him, but now that she had–thankfully–gotten over her nervous tick of insulting him every other sentence, she just felt _good_ around him. He was so much bigger than her, like if he decided to wrap his arms around her (which some small part of her was secretly hoping he would) his body would swallow hers whole. And he was warmer than a furnace.

The strangest part was that she felt so incredibly secure with him there. Everywhere she'd been the last couple of days, she'd had to force herself to relax, to remind herself that it was over. Both Jackson and Mrs. Prinn were under lock and key awaiting their trial, and she had been assured by Defense Attorney David Otten that he was going to make sure they saw justice. She smiled vaguely as she thought of the DA. Just as she was saying goodbye to them, Kate had shown up for lunch with him. It seemed that Kate had found her own hero.

That aside, her dreams had been filled with Jackson's face, his threats, the leer in his eyes...only in her sleep, the Green Arrow didn't get there in time...

But here, with Oliver, she felt calm and safe, no longer worried about the outside world, that somehow Jackson was going to be around the next corner. It was strange all right.

_No,_ she argued with herself suddenly, long since having given up on paying attention to the movie, _the safety feeling isn't the strangest thing. The strangest thing is the desire to rip his clothes off and lick every inch of his body. Jeez, I'm screwed up._

It couldn't be helped. He was...magnetic. She couldn't understand the impulse she had to just turn around and capture his lips with hers, rubbing her body against his. Sure, she'd been attracted to men she didn't know that well in the past, but she hadn't had to use all of her will power to control the impulse to throw herself at them. She supposed that Lois would say it was just because she hadn't had sex in a while, but she'd gone longer than this before..._painfully_ longer. She had no explanation for how readily she could imagine allowing him to grip her thighs and wrap them around his waist.

She shifted slightly, licking her lips and pressing her thighs together subtly at the thought. It was going to be a long night.

Oliver glanced down at the top of Chloe's head, wondering what she was thinking about. He smiled softly at how obviously comfortable she was resting on his chest, as if she'd done it a dozen times before. He wondered if she realized how quickly she'd slipped into that comfort with him. Part of him worried that she might realize how familiar this felt. How long would it take her to put the pieces together? Was it too soon to tell her? In the car he'd had himself all but convinced to just have out with it, but then she'd interrupted him before he ever got the chance. Was that a sign to wait? He swallowed tightly at the thought that there might never be a right time. All he wanted was to just come clean to her right then and there and make love to her for the rest of the night...and possibly the rest of tomorrow, too. More immediately, her hand was resting lightly on his chest, and he found himself resisting an almost overwhelming urge to lift it and suck her fingers into his mouth, to see how long it took for her eyes to darken and her pulse to quicken.

He swallowed tightly, wondering vaguely if she would think it were weird if he sat on his hands.


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: So, as we approach the final chapters, I wanted to address an issue: There is an inherent problem with writing a story where the entire plot is based on the fact that Chloe doesn't know Oliver's secret. That is that we all struggle to believe that Chloe wouldn't figure it out right away, being the intelligent woman she is, or, on the other hand, we can't imagine that Oliver wouldn't 'fess up, being the decent man that _he_ is. Some people have mentioned frustration with this, and in some cases I couldn't tell if they were enjoying the suspense or complaining about the plot. Either way, I wanted everyone to know that I was aware of all of this, and, for better or worse, I did my best to make the plot plausible, that Chloe really wouldn't figure it out and that Oliver really wouldn't come clean. Because if they did, then there wouldn't have been a story!**

**That all being said, please enjoy the final couple of chapters (there will be either one or two more after this one), and thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**Blue**

* * *

_I've gotta follow that dream  
Wherever that dream may lead.  
I gotta follow that dream  
To find the love I need._

Follow That Dream  
Elvis Presley

–19–

Chloe drained the bottom of her second raspberry mojito that evening. Lois was supposed to meet her, but had had to skip out in favor of chasing a lead.

She sighed. She had been dating Oliver Queen for a week and a half, but as much as she liked him, something was missing.

_Like a friggin' kiss on the cheek_, she thought sourly.

It was true. In a week an a half, she had been out with Oliver at least four times, from casual coffee to fancy party, and he hadn't so much as held her hand.

_What the hell is he waiting for?_ she silently demanded of the remaining ice. It wasn't as though she hadn't given him opportunities. There had been several moments where she had thought it was going to happen, times when he was a breath away, and she was sure he was thinking about it, and then, all of a sudden, he just stopped. It was like there was something holding him back and it was her nuts. And maybe he didn't feel it, but she didn't see how he couldn't. The draw between them was so powerful it was almost overwhelming. It was like his entire body called out to hers. It bordered on embarrassing.

"Your drink say something mean to you, Sullivan?"

Chloe looked up at Bobby embarrassedly. He was wiping off the counter next to her where some overzealous twenty-two-year-old had sloshed his beer. "No," she said. "Just a long day."

"All right, well, be sure to tell me if it gets out of line."

She smirked. "Will you give it a good talking to for me?" she asked.

He winked at her as a pair of women walked up to him and ordered a couple of wine spritzers. When they were gone he turned his attention back to her. "So are you bummed because the hurricane bailed on you or does this have something to do with the mystery guy you won't tell me about?"

She laughed. "It's not a mystery. We both know you know by now."

He sighed dramatically. "I am _so_ disappointed that I had to find out about my best customers boyfriend on _E!_ instead of straight from her."

Chloe flushed mildly, passing him her empty glass so he would exchange it for a fresh drink. "He's not really my boyfriend, you know. The media exaggerates–"

"Did I just hear a reporter admit that the media isn't always completely factual down to the last detail? Oh my God, it's Armageddon."

Chloe laughed, shoving his elbow off the bar so he couldn't lean so close. "Shut up. I was talking about the society aspect of media. I still maintain that there's such a thing as unbiased journalism."

"Uh huh," he said, pressing his lips together as if holding back a laugh, knowing she was extremely vulnerable to teasing about her work and therefore a very entertaining target. "Anyway, you were saying?"

She backtracked her thoughts briefly to remember what she'd been talking about. "Oh, right. We're not really in a relationship–"

"Yet."

"–We're just dating right now."

"For the moment."

She rolled her eyes, unable to hide a smile. There were many reasons she always came to the bar when Bobby was working. Aside from memorizing her order, being very aware and therefore a good source, Bobby was easy to talk to and good at lightening her mood. He was better than a psychiatrist.

"So what's the problem?" he asked patiently, crushing the mint leaves and lime wedges for another mojito.

She turned even redder and Bobby raised an eyebrow. "He's not moving to fast for you, is he, Sullivan? That guys got a real reputation and I will gladly rip him a new one for y–"

"No, no!" Chloe said hurriedly, amused at his sudden chivalrous outbreak. "Lay off, _dad_," she teased. Then, feeling her ears grow hot, she admitted quietly. "He's moving too _slow."_

Bobby stared blankly at her.

Chloe looked at the ceiling in humiliation. "He hasn't even kissed me goodnight."

Bobby's mouth fell open slightly as he stared at her. Then he shook himself slightly. "I'm sorry, just to be clear, you are dating Oliver Queen, right? Because maybe I just got confused and–"

"Oh no," Chloe stopped him ruefully. "Oliver Queen. And he hasn't so much as kissed my hand," she drawled sarcastically.

For once in his life, Bobby was confused. "Well, I mean...normally I'd say he's shy and you should give it time or maybe initiate something yourself, but...well, given that it's Oliver Queen...that's just..._weird_."

"Story of my life," Chloe grumbled.

He scratched the back of his head, momentarily distracted from making her drink. Even with a guy who had a serious reputation around women, there was always a chance they were really shy underneath, but...he'd seen Oliver Queen in the club when he first blew into town...shyness just did not seem like a problem the man had. "Okay," he said, trying to draw up a solution for her. "So...he's got a reputation, and he's been known for some shallow relationships in the past, so...maybe he wants to take everything really slow with you because he wants to get it right this time and doesn't want to scare you off," he suggested. Sure. That sounded reasonable. And he didn't know Queen personally. So it was perfectly plausible.

Chloe released a little sigh. Lois had said something similar, and she had sounded like she believed it just as much as Bobby did. "So do you think I should be the one to initiate something?" she asked. In the back of her mind, a little voice was pointing out that last night she _had_ tried. She'd reached out for his arm and leaned up to kiss him just as he was dropping her off at her apartment, and all of a sudden he'd claimed to hear his phone back in the car. Which seemed even more ridiculous when she suddenly remembered seeing him check his phone briefly during the evening and then slip it back in his pocket.

"Sure," Bobby was saying encouragingly. "Guys like a girl who can take charge sometimes. Don't be afraid to be bold," he grinned at her. "It shouldn't be much of a problem for you, I imagine."

Chloe mocked offense. "Sir! Are you implying that I'm brazen?" she asked in a Southern Belle voice. "Well I never."

Bobby chuckled and finished off her drink sliding it to her before moving over to one of the waiters who was giving him a frantic look. "Let me know how that works out for you, Sullivan."

As he walked away Chloe's phone beeped and she grinned more genuinely, fishing it out of her purse. Another development of the last couple of weeks: the reigniting of her friendship with the Green Arrow. He'd finally come to her for help with something and after that their conversations had started back up naturally.

**emeraldarcher1** how's it going?

**sidekick101** not bad. s'posed to have drinks w/cuz. She backed out.

**emeraldarcher1** well that's lame. Wish I could keep you company, but I'm on the job.

She laughed. She would love to see people's faces if the Green Arrow walked casually into the Ace of Clubs and sat down at the bar to have a drink with her.

**sidekick101** must be a slow night if you've got time to text me.

**emeraldarcher1** so far. might head in early.

**sidekick101** I think I saw that _Titanic_ would be on tonight.

**emeraldarcher1** you're never letting that go, are you?

**sidekick101** never

Moments later, when Chloe's third drink was nearly gone, her phone actually rang and she saw Oliver's name on the screen. She sighed, thinking of the reason for her third mojito that night. And yet, even as she answered the call, she still felt a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Hey, Ollie."

"_Hey! How's drinks with your cousin?"_ he asked.

"Dumb. She ran off to chase a lead and left me all by my lonesome," she joked.

"_Well in that case, do you want to come over for a nightcap?"_

"Um...sure," she said, debating. "Although personally, I may have had enough," she added with a light giggle, glancing at her half-empty glass.

He sounded amused. _"Now that I have to see. Want me to pick you up somewhere?"_

She shook her head even though he couldn't see her. "Nah. I'll just take a cab over. See you in thirty?" she asked.

"_Sounds great."_

Which was how she ended up in Oliver's apartment that night. It started out typically. Oliver seemed unusually tired but pleased to see her in spite of his somewhat haggard appearance. They ended up on the couch, Chloe with a glass of water, Oliver with a glass of scotch, watching an old John Wayne movie that had Chloe riveted.

She sighed longingly when John Wayne roughly tugged Maureen O'Hara into his arms and kissed her as hard as he could. Then, with a flush of self-consciousness, she glanced nervously at Oliver, worried he had seen the expression on her face. She saw with relief that he had actually fallen asleep beside her, his arm draped gently around the back of the couch behind her.

With another sigh, she allowed herself to snuggle into his side a bit more, thinking he must have had a really rough time at the office that day. It hadn't taken her long to ascertain that Oliver's job took a lot out of him. She'd imagined it must be taxing to be a CEO in its own way, but the run-down, exhausted expression she occasionally witnessed on Oliver...well, it reminded her of the way she looked in the mirror when she'd been up all night working on an article. She smiled sympathetically at him. She couldn't believe how close she felt to him after such a short amount of time. She'd never had a relationship with anyone click so immediately, and his intuition about her hadn't stopped with just a bouquet of tulips. He picked up on her moods, guessed what things she would like so easily it was almost nerve-wracking. She'd begun to suspect he'd talked to either Lois or Clark to get background on her.

His head rolled slightly as he fell into a deeper sleep, and the corner of her mouth twitched. Gently, she reached up and ran her hands soothingly through his hair as she turned her attention back to the movie and the sexiness that was John Wayne fighting for his woman. And then she froze. Eyes wide, her gaze slowly burned to the sleeping Oliver, her fingers currently tangled in his hair.

"No. No...friggin'..._way_."

* * *

"Chloe?"

"ACK!" Chloe jumped out of her skin. Clark was looking at her questioningly. She clutched her chest and sighed. "Sorry, Clark...I'm a bit distracted today."

"Yeah, I noticed," Clark said dryly. "I actually knocked this time. Are you all right?" he asked.

She was sitting on her sofa, her laptop closed on the coffee table, looking as if she'd pushed it away from her, and she was clutching a full cup of cold coffee, as though she had poured it for herself and then forgotten to drink it. Combined with the fact that Chloe hadn't come into work that day, there was cause to be seriously concerned, Clark determined.

Chloe had drifted into a deep train of thought before Clark finished speaking, and she jumped when he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Clark. What did you say? Do you need help with something?" she asked, putting on a focused expression for him.

Clark raised an eyebrow. "No," he said slowly. "I asked if you were all right. We were worried when you didn't show up at the Planet today and Lois wanted me to swing by after work and make sure you hadn't gone and gotten kidnapped again. I figured I'd stop by a little earlier than that."

She chuckled lightly at Lois's dramatics, but when she saw the grim expression on Clark's face, she realized she'd probably given them quite a scare by not calling in. She glanced at her watch, realizing Clark must be on his lunch break. "Sorry I worried you," she said genuinely. "You could have called," she suggested.

"We did," he said, unamused. "Your phone was off."

Startled, Chloe walked over to the counter where her phone was lying, picked it up, and swore under her breath. "Shoot. The battery died." She held it up apologetically.

Clark frowned, watching Chloe walk around her counter to the phone charger plugged into the wall and hook her phone up. "Chloe...you never let your phone die. And you still haven't answered my question. Is everything okay?"

Chloe looked sheepish, "Yeah. Sorry. I just...had a very long night. I lost track of time and I just needed a day to think. I forgot to call in I guess."

Brow furrowing a little deeper, Clark studied Chloe carefully as she walked back over to the couch and sat down again. "This isn't like you at all. Is there something you want to talk about?" he asked.

She sighed, not sure she really wanted to discuss the fact that she'd been sleeping with the Green Arrow, then started dating Oliver Queen, then discovered that the Green Arrow _was_ Oliver Queen with Clark Kent. He was one of her closest friends, yes, but she was also fully aware that Clark was, well...a bit of a prude. And she meant that in the most loving, affectionate way possible. Heck, in spite of her completely bizarre recent relationship, she generally considered herself very much a good girl. But either way, this was just one of those times that as much as she adored Clark, she really didn't feel like confiding in him. So she settled for, "It's a girl thing." She smiled helplessly and shrugged.

He didn't look relieved. "Did Oliver do something?"

She snorted. _Did he do something? Oh nothing, really. Just me. _"No. Sort of. It's nothing to worry about," she waved her hand dismissively. _I think._ "Well, I mean, it's nothing for you to worry about. Not that I'm worried," she added quickly, looking up at a clearly confused Clark. "I just–"

"Need to think?" Clark supplied with mild amusement.

She nodded, smiling gratefully at him. "Yeah."

"You sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"Like I said. It's kind of a g–"

"Girl thing. Right. I'll let Lois know to–"

"No!" Chloe said a little too quickly. Clark gave her a surprised look. "Sorry...this is just...you know. I got it covered." She tried to look more confident than she felt.

Not entirely sure he believed her, Clark finally nodded his acquiescence. "If you say so. But you will let one of us know if you need something, right? I'll be here in a blink," he grinned.

Chloe chuckled, getting up to give him a hug. "Thanks. And thanks for coming to check on me. What are you going to tell Lois?" she asked as she pulled back.

He lifted a shoulder. "That while I was picking up lunch I finally got hold of you and that you said you would call her back later." He raised an eyebrow.

Chloe smirked, recognizing that he was telling her what to do. "Yeah, yeah," she waved him off. "I'll call her. Bye, Cl–" a gust of wind hit her face, "–ark." She arched an eyebrow at the empty space she was waving at and sighed. _"Heroes,"_ she muttered in exasperation.

...which brought her right back to the original source of the problem. She was glad Clark had stopped by, it had finally torn her out of her dazed state. She needed to approach this whole thing logically. She didn't even _know_ for certain she was right.

_Not that there's much room for doubt,_ she added wryly.

Still, it was time she looked at the facts. She grabbed her laptop and a spiral notebook from the kitchen counter, pulling a pen out of the wire binding and sitting down on the couch.

She opened her laptop and finally started pulling up all the stats on the Green Arrow, putting to use every resource and clue she'd been refraining from touching ever since her friendship with the man had begun.

At the time, she had been willing to restrain herself, determined to respect the fact that for whatever reason, he wasn't going to tell her. Now that she suspected–_Oh let's face it, now that I _know, she corrected herself_–_that it was Oliver, well, she wasn't holding back anymore.

She did everything from compare his height and build to drawing out timelines of every Metropolis Green Arrow sighting since he'd arrived. And then, finally, with drawings, lists, and charts scattered around her, she did the one thing that she'd avoided all this time: tracing the ip address from the chat room he had opened with her.

The process completed and the results stared her back in the face, no room left for any doubt. There was simply no denying it.

Oliver Queen was the Green Arrow.

* * *

Oliver paced back and forth.

He had to do it. He had to tell her. There was no way around it. He'd known since the first date, if he were being honest with himself.

_Oh hell, I've known since I first spoke to her that I should tell her who I am. Running around getting caught on smuggling ships and getting shot at. Friggin'…insane…wonderful woman._

The trouble was how to tell her. And when. For the past week and a half, he'd been running himself ragged, trying to figure out how to go about it. Should he make some big, fancy ordeal out of it? Like he would to celebrate something? Or maybe he should sit her down and break it to her gently. There was no way to anticipate her reaction to it. Would she be thrilled? Confused?

He swallowed anxiously. Angry?

He glanced at his phone for the eighth time in two minutes. Letting out a frustrated growl, he picked it up and dialed the number he'd been purposefully avoiding all this time.

It picked up almost immediately.

"_Hey, what's up?"_

"How the hell do I tell her?"

There was a momentary pause and all of a sudden Hal burst into laughter on the other end.

"Look, I'm conveniently overlooking the fact that you apparently talked to her about me, so I suggest you not laugh at me right now."

Hal just laughed again. _ "Is that why I haven't heard from you? Aw, come on, man. I did it for your own good."_

"Yeah, I'm sure you have some incredibly convincing, slick reason for talking to her that will half-convince me I asked you to do it. Whatever," Oliver rolled his eyes. "I know I need to tell her the truth. I'm just freaking out because I'm afraid _she'll_ freak out. What do I do if she freaks out?"

"_She's not going to freak out." _ Hal sounded almost bored, but even Oliver could catch the mild amusement he was trying to hide in his voice.

Choosing to ignore it since Hal was apparently trying to be helpful, Oliver continued. "How would you know?"

"_Because she's not the freak-out type. She's the freaky-calm type."_

Oliver debated that, but panic had settled in on him and wasn't letting him go. "You can't know that."

"_Sure I can."_

"How?"

"_Because I told her who I am. And she was freaky-calm about it."_

Oliver stopped pacing, attempting to register. "What?" he deadpanned.

"_I told her who I am. And she just kind of sat there. I mean, she asked me why I told her, but she didn't freak out remotely. You're acting like a chick, man. It's not attractive. Just tell her."_

"You are one weird-ass friend."

"_Guilty."_

"But I still don't know how to tell her," Oliver continued. "I mean, I know half this damn situation is my fault. I've dragged it out too long. I should have told her who I was the first time I kissed her."

"_Blah blah blah."_

"You're missing my point, Hal. It's different for you. She didn't have a major relationship with you. _Either_ of you," he said bitterly.

"_I'm telling you, man, you're over-thinking this. Just sit her down and tell her."_

"What if she gets mad?"

Hal laughed again. _"Oh my God, I didn't realize how whipped you were until just now."_

"Dude. Not cool right now."

"_Got it, got it. Sorry. All I'm gonna say is this: Which do you think is gonna make her angrier? Finding out? Or you waiting so long she figures it out by herself?"_

Oliver swallowed. "Good point."


	20. Chapter 20

_When I hold you in my arms at night,  
Don't you know you're sleeping in a spotlight?  
And all your dreams that you keep inside?  
You're telling me the secrets that you just can't hide._

_You tell me that you want me.  
You tell me that you need me.  
You tell me that you love me,  
And I know that I'm right  
'Cause I hear it in the night._

Talking in Your Sleep  
The Romantics

–20–

"_What do you mean you're breaking up with him?"_ Lois demanded. _ "You can't be serious. What happened?"_

"Lo," Chloe sighed into the phone. "I'm serious. And I have my reasons. I just don't think it's going to work. I'm in his apartment right now waiting for him. I'm just going to bite the bullet and get it over with."

"_I don't understand. I thought everything was going so well. You've been so happy lately."_

Her heart clenched. "I know. But...I've just realized that there are some things that won't work. Look, don't try to talk me out of it. I know what I'm doing. I just...wanted to let you know where I am. And...can we have girls' day tomorrow? I have a feeling I'm going to need a hell of a lot of ice cream."

It was Lois's turn to sigh. _ "You got it, cuz. But I'm still worried you're going to make a big mistake here."_

Chloe silenced a groan. Lois was worried she might. Chloe knew she was. "I'll be fine."

"_If you say so. Are you sure you haven't been drinking or something?"_

No. "Yes." She _may _have liberally spiked the cup of coffee she was holding with some Bailey's, but she'd needed a little buzz to bolster her courage.

"_Well…maybe you should sleep on it or something…."_

But she couldn't sleep. She hadn't slept all the previous night. She hadn't slept since she realized who Oliver was. She wasn't going to be _able_ to sleep until she did this. She had to. It was the only way. "Lo, I've just got to do this."

Catching the steely note in Chloe's tone, Lois finally surrendered the battle as lost. _"Okay. Are you going to call me tonight?"_

Chloe shook her head sadly. "I don't think so. I don't think I'll be feeling up to it. But I promise to call tomorrow."

"_I'll do ya one better,"_ Lois promised encouragingly. _"I'll stop by with breakfast and coffee, and we'll spend the whole day together. Okay? Take care, Chlo."_

"I will. Love you, cuz."

"_Love you, too."_

And Lois hung up. Chloe drained the last of the cup of coffee. She glanced at her watch. Where was he? She would have thought he would have been home by now.

She knew it was terrible to corner him in his home, but she had to do it before she lost her nerve. And she figured this was better than storming into his office.

She didn't want to break up with him. As a matter of fact, now that she knew the truth, she wanted nothing more than to throw herself at him and cling to him and possibly kiss him into the next century.

But as quickly as that impulse had come, another realization had settled in. He hadn't told her. He didn't want her to know. She wondered why he had even asked her out to begin with, when they obviously had no future together. He was afraid to kiss her for fear she would recognize him. Which she would have. Maybe he had thought he could tell her but decided against it in the end. Now he was just biding his time until he could find a way to end it.

She had almost called Hal, wanting to demand answers from him. To force him to tell her everything, why Oliver would put her through losing him twice. Maybe he had realized he didn't love her after all.

She sat down on his couch, exhausted and miserable. If that were the case, then it was better for both of them if she just ended it now. He would never have to know that she had found him out, and she would take his secret to her grave. With a miserable sigh, she laid her head back and closed her eyes, willing herself to keep it together.

* * *

Oliver groaned in exhaustion. It had been the workday from hell. Tedious didn't even begin to describe what he'd been through. He hadn't even allowed himself to talk to Chloe as either the Green Arrow or himself. He had finally made up his mind. No matter what happened, he was going to tell her tomorrow. It would be best to do it when they were alone so she could yell at him however much she may feel entitled to. He just hoped that after she got any anger out of her system, she would still want him around enough not to leave him in her dust.

He gave his watch a depressed glance. It was after nine. He rarely worked past five unless something huge was hanging in the balance. But it hadn't been about that today. Today had just been wearisome.

Well, one thing was sure, he determined as he stepped out of the lift, he was not going patrolling tonight. The city of Metropolis was just going to have to–

"Chloe?"

He stared in complete surprise at the blonde head just visible over the back of his couch. What in the world was she doing here? And how long had she been here? He'd given her the elevator codes a few days ago so she didn't have to wait on him to send her up, but he hadn't really expected she was comfortable enough to come over when he wasn't around, not that he minded, but still.

He walked over to her and realized with further surprise that she had fallen asleep. He debated his options momentarily, not sure whether to wake her. Finally, knowing just how little sleep she allowed herself, he decided not to wake her. She might be embarrassed in the morning, but it was a small thing in comparison to her well-being.

So, carefully, gently, he lifted her light form from the couch, trying to reign in his immediate reaction to the nearness. He desperately missed having the freedom to explore her body. But he was determined not to take advantage of her even for a brief moment. There would be no stolen kiss this time, he told himself firmly. It was just further motivation for his impending confession.

Perhaps it was fortuitous that she was here at all, he thought, reaching down to pull back the blankets of his guest bed for her. Tomorrow morning he would fix her some coffee and just face the music.

Sure, he thought, that would be how it would go. He laid her down as gently as he could, hoping she wouldn't wake and try to leave. She didn't, but she stirred just a little, mumbling faintly in her sleep as she burrowed into the comfortable bed.

For a moment he forgot himself, and he caught himself just as his lips were an inch away from brushing hers. Freezing, he sighed, closing his eyes in regret. "I love you, Chloe," he whispered exhaustedly. "I just hope you know how much tomorrow."

Chloe, to his heart-stopping, joyous surprise, muttered a response. "Love you," she whispered her sleepy reply, obviously not awake at all. But that didn't stop his heart from expanding so much he thought it might burst.

Not trusting himself, he straightened back up and swiftly left the room, removing himself from all temptation.

* * *

Chloe woke with a strange, fuzzy feeling and an unpleasant sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. Slowly, with unsympathetic detail, the events of the last two days marched back into place.

"Oh, God," she groaned, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow…until she suddenly realized that it wasn't her pillow.

With a shock to her system she pushed herself up and looked wildly at the much to comfortable bed she was lying in, then at the room around her.

"Oh, _God!" _she exclaimed in horror, recognizing Oliver's guest room. "Ohgodohgodohgod. Crap. Shit. Damn." She'd fallen asleep. She'd come over here to end it with him, and he–being the bloody wonderful person he just _had_ to be–had been sweet enough to put her up in his guest room. How was she ever going to face him? Maybe she should just leave quickly. Face him later in the day.

Yes, she nodded to herself, that would be the thing to do.

Collecting herself, she briefly popped into the bathroom to splash her face and rid herself of the smears of makeup she was sporting. She ran a hand through her hair, thinking vaguely that she was going to need to the world's largest cup of coffee.

She quietly crept out of the room and headed for the couch, thinking she must have left her purse there before she fell asleep, but it was nowhere in sight.

"Looking for something?" Oliver asked so close behind her that she shrieked.

He chuckled amusedly as she gasped for breath, clutching the back of the couch for support, but his smile faded slightly when she turned around and pressed herself against the couch to create some distance between them, a guilty expression painted across her face.

"Good...morning?" he suggested cautiously, noting her uncomfortable body language and subtly stepping back a bit.

"Good morning," she muttered in reply, not very convinced of the statement. "I'm so sorry. Why didn't you wake me? I never meant to fall asleep, I just–"

"Chloe, relax," he frowned. "What are guest rooms for, anyway? Do you want some coffee?" he offered, thinking maybe she would calm down if she got her fix and heading for the kitchen.

Did she want some coffee? She was practically salivating at the mere mention of the word. But she shouldn't accept, she told herself sternly. She shouldn't let him do anything else for her. She needed to get her purse and go. "Where's my bag?" she asked after him. "I should get going."

"Nonsense. You can stay for one cup of coffee. You obviously wanted to see me last night. Now's your chance," he grinned at her when she entered the kitchen, and her stomach plummeted.

She was never going to get over this. There would never be anyone else like him. And she had to let him go. "Oliver, I should really–"

"It's hazelnut flavored blend."

Her automatic moan betrayed her, and there was no arguing after that. He finished fussing with the machine and turned to her. "So what's going on?" he asked.

Running a nervous hand through her tangled hair, Chloe's body screamed anxiety. She couldn't meet his eyes as she answered. "I just...wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh?" he asked, curious. "What?"

"Um…." _Come on, Oliver, don't make me talk about it right now. Please._ "You know…it wasn't…I mean, it's no…it can wait."

He frowned, starting to grow concerned by her evasive behavior. "Chloe, you came all the way over here last night without even calling. Whatever it was obviously couldn't wait."

She tugged at her bottom lip, and finally she realized there was no putting it off. If she walked out of his apartment without ending it, she would never be strong enough to do it again. And she had to do it. She had to free him from whatever trap he had caged himself into with her. If he couldn't tell her who he was, they had no future together. "I–" she swallowed tightly, the sound having come out as little more than a croak. She tried again, "I have to stop seeing you."

Horror. Utmost, absolute horror clenched Oliver's entire being in its heartless grip. All remaining high from her sleepy profession of love faded in a breath of an instant. "What?" His voice was small, distant.

She sounded on the verge of tears, but she wasn't meeting his eyes. "I can't see you anymore. I need to stop."

Instinctively, Oliver moved closer to her, just holding back the urge to grab hold of her and shake her. "Why?" he managed to choke out, his mind reeling in panic, trying to seize onto some means of understanding, some way of making her stay.

She took a deep, staggering breath and started to back away from him. "Because–because…." she searched desperately. What could she say? She owed him some semblance of the truth. After all, she loved him. With every ounce of strength she could muster, she dragged her eyes to meet his, blanching when she saw the terrible anguish that resided there. "Because we have no future together, do we, Oliver?"

His silence was deafening, and she couldn't bear to look at him anymore. Tearing her eyes away she finally noticed her purse, resting on the bar. She moved to grab it, but before she ever had the chance, Oliver had closed the distance between them in two predatory strides. Grasping her arms, he wrenched her to him and kissed her with all he had.

Gasping into his mouth, Chloe's body began to tremble, tears streaming down her face. Her arms immediately wrapped around him, her entire body cleaving to his. "Thank God," she murmured over and over against his lips. "Oh, God, I was so scared you were going to let me leave," she uttered with an agonized sob, kissing him again and again.

Chest aching with a combination of so many emotions he couldn't name, Oliver tangled a hand in her hair, holding her lips to his as long as he could, his other hand clenched in her shirt and gripping her so tightly to him they both had to struggle for breath. Her words echoed in his head until finally he understood. With great effort, he pulled his mouth away, but by no means allowed her any further relief than that. Catching his breath, his forehead mated with hers. "You knew?" he managed.

Breathlessly, she nodded. "Since two nights ago. I thought…I thought you were never going to tell me. I figured it would be better for us both if–"

"I've wanted to tell you for weeks. Hell, months. I just couldn't figure out how. I was so scared you would hate me."

Fresh tears brimming in her eyes, Chloe buried her face in his neck, breathing in the warm, comforting smell of his skin. "I would never hate you."

He drew her face back so his lips could meet hers again, kissing her hungrily. "Oh, God, Chloe, I've missed you so much," he confessed against her mouth. "It's been torture not to touch you." He brushed his lips over her cheeks, banishing the stray tears that had brimmed over.

A raw ache began to make itself known in Chloe's thighs and she pressed herself, if possible, even closer to him. He hadn't been the only one in torture. She had positively suffered thinking he would never hold her again.

His hand slipped from her back to the curve of her ass, and he squeezed it tightly, smirking at the feminine cry of surprise, followed by the lecherous moan she emitted when she felt him hardening against her stomach and he pressed her still more firmly against him.

"Oh, _God_," she breathed. "Oh, God, I need you. Oliver. Please." She backed toward the counter, tugging him with her, fumbling with his shirt.

In a swift movement, Oliver had her on the counter, grasping her knees and pulling them apart to allow her to cradle him between her thighs. She'd managed the top two buttons of his shirt before he suddenly seemed to change his mind and lifted her off the counter, sweeping her up into his arms. "Like hell," she heard him grumble as he kissed her, "is this happening on the counter."

She laughed into his mouth but it faded when they entered his bedroom. She swallowed nervously as he set her down, and somehow she found that she was actually scared. She shouldn't be. She told herself not to be, but insecurity welled up inside of her as Oliver walked over to the glass doors leading onto the balcony and purposefully drew back the curtain, allowing morning sunlight to stream into the room.

This was different.

Oliver seemed to sense her hesitancy, but he said nothing, as if he had anticipated it. He approached her again, hand gently stroking her cheek before he leaned in to kiss her. His hands slid down her back and she gasped when his calloused fingers slipped beneath the hem of her T-shirt, blazing a trail of fire over her bare skin. Her eyes closed as he slowly tugged the shirt up, pulling it over her head after what seemed like a lifetime. His hands found her sides and a thumb brushed over her breast, causing her nipples to tighten. She moaned slightly, but in the next moment his hands had left her, instead slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

Oliver watched intently as her eyes studied his hands, following them as each button came undone. He watched her attempt to steady herself with deep, calm breaths, but her eyes darkened as he tugged the shirt off his arms and dropped it on the floor.

He reached for her jeans next, locking eyes with her as he popped the button open and pulled the zipper, the gentle tugging at her lower waist sending a flush of heat through her and causing the muscles in her stomach to tighten. Her eyes darkened further with each painfully slow movement.

He hooked his fingers in the waistband of her jeans, and keeping his eyes on hers, he slowly slid down her body until he was level with them, then gradually dragged them down her legs, his fingers grazing over the backs of her thighs, behind her knees, and over the shapely curve of her calves. With curiosity she watched Oliver lift her first foot out of them, leaving her shoe behind, and wrap his mouth around her toes, sucking on them and licking them teasingly, sending a tingling sensation straight up her leg and through her spine. She groaned, head falling back as she nearly lost her balance. With a smirk, Oliver set her bare foot down and tended the second one, again sucking on her toes–something she never would have guessed to be erotic until that moment.

Slowly he rose again, placing an open-mouthed kiss to her knee and traveling back to her stomach, dipping his tongue into her navel and then straightening up the rest of the way. He paused momentarily, waiting until she had opened her eyes again, before he undid the button and zipper of his own jeans, pushing them down and kicking them off.

_Oh…God…help_, was Chloe's only coherent thought, though she wasn't quite sure, as she stood there, what exactly it was she needed help with.

Oliver's eyes raked over her body, taking in her fair, creamy skin, memorizing each brown freckle with relish. He studied her dusty rose colored lingerie, the half cup bra pushing her breasts together in a way that practically beckoned to him. He let his gaze roam across her soft, smooth stomach to the lace band of her boy-short panties before finally flickering back up to her soft, pink lips and then her darkened, moss-green eyes.

She was busy watching him. Her eyes observed ever muscle, every angle of his body, the golden tan of his skin, the tempting v-shape that vanished beneath his boxers and the sheer power that radiated from his body. But with all that on display, her eyes continually returned to his face. For months now, she had longed to put a face to the silhouette, a voice to the whispers. And here he was: no distortion, no hood. No shadows. She was finally seeing the man, standing before her with sunlight pouring onto every feature of his body, and her heart felt like it might explode.

His large hand reached out and grasped her hip, tugging her forward so that he could reach behind her and unhook her bra. He almost groaned when he heard her small gasp for air as he slipped it down her arms and dropped it to the floor as well, as if somehow she were surprised by the movement. He wanted to take one of her pert nipples into his mouth and suckle it and hear her moan in response, but he was on a mission. Once again, Oliver lowered himself in front of her, and Chloe did cry out when he clenched her now thoroughly soaked panties between his teeth, and dragged them down her legs. When he stood in front of her again, he couldn't resist slipping a hand between her thighs and dipping a finger between her folds. She gripped his arms to steady herself and moaned loudly, but he didn't linger, drawing his hand back up to his mouth and sucking his finger clean, groaning as he tasted her.

Unable to stand it, Chloe grabbed both sides of his face and drew him down to kiss him, her tongue darting into his familiar mouth hungrily. When she pulled back to draw breath, it was to whisper in his ear, "Finish already."

Smirking at her eagerness, Oliver finally shoved off his boxers and kicked them to the side. Before he had a chance to make another move, Chloe had wrapped a hand around his cock. Meeting his eyes, she stroked him firmly, quite plainly telling him, _Come and get me._

Without warning Oliver stilled her hand, gripping both of her wrists. He backed her up until the back of her knees hit his bed. Releasing her wrists, he gently pushed her back onto the bed, and Chloe licked her lips nervously, eyes drawn to his impressive erection, her mind flashing back to the feeling of him inside her, darkness enveloping them as she kept her eyes shut tight, every sensation heightened by the elimination of light.

Oliver carefully moved onto the bed until he hovered above her, pushing the blonde curls from her face and then brushing the pad of his thumb over her parted lips. Her eyes drifted closed at the tenderness of his touch, but Oliver had other ideas.

Pressing his knee between her thighs, he parted them and lowered himself until she cradles him between her bent legs. He rubbed his length over her slick entrance, brushing over her clit, and Chloe groaned with need. Gently he cupped her face and told her plainly, "Open your eyes." Her hips bucked as he continued to slide against her, trying to get him to enter her.

With effort she opened her eyes, and the second they found his, Oliver pressed into her, filling her to the hilt, her walls tightened by his long absence. Chloe threw her head back with a cry of blissful anguish. She bucked her hips again, arching her back up to encourage him, but he wouldn't move.

"Chloe," he said, "Look at me."

Panting for breath she forced her eyes back to his, his hand still cupping her cheek, now more firmly as if to force her not to take her eyes off of him.

…which turned out to be exactly what he was doing. Every time he pounded into her, she wanted to throw her head from one side to the other, almost unable to bear having all of him inside her, but he forced her eyes to remain locked on his. She trembled beneath him, breasts aching, thighs quivering as he entered her and reached down to rub her clit.

Slowly, like the first water seeping through the cracks in a damn, Chloe found herself building, drawing closer and closer to climax, the pleasure overwhelming. With each thrust, her cries became louder, their pitch escalating. She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut and just scream and finally let the pleasure take over her body, but Oliver wouldn't let her.

"Keep them open, Chloe," he warned. "I want you to look into my eyes while you come." He pressed his thumb harder against her clit and she sobbed desperately. "Come on, Chloe."

With every ounce of willpower she possessed, every fiber of her being engaged in the effort, she kept her eyes open. Even when he pinched her clit and the dam finally broke, tidal waves of pleasure crashing over her, she stared into his eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks, screaming his name. He came with her, spilling inside of her while his eyes bore into her soul.

They slowly settled back to earth and his chest was rising and falling heavily as he continued to stare at her, chest close to bursting as he watched her look up at him. After what felt to Chloe like an eternity, his eyes dropped to her lips and he leaned down to kiss them, prying them open to allow his tongue to delve inside her mouth, stroking her tongue with an amorous caress.

Entire body trembling, Chloe's arms wrapped around his back, a hand threading into his gold hair, and suddenly the corner of her mouth turned up as she realized how nice it was just knowing what color it was.

Without knowing the reason for her smile, Oliver still smiled in response, rolling over on his back and tucking her into his side protectively. Her smile broadened and she pushed herself up gently, admiring him for a moment before finally voicing her thoughts. "So where do we go from here?"

He smirked. "Well, that kitchen counter idea really wasn't half bad now that I can properly consider it. There's also the couch, the shower, my desk, my office chair, the lounge chairs out on the balcony–"

Chloe was laughing in protest so he stopped, grinning at her and reaching out to tuck her damp hair behind her ear.

"First," he said, now only a little more serious, "I see a lot of daylight in our future."

Chloe snorted humorously. "_Our_ future, huh? Presumptuous."

Her rolled his eyes, giving her a light, playful tap on the head. "No interrupting. There will also be some heroic rescues because you don't know how to stay out of trouble."

Chloe rolled her eyes, pressing her lips together in laughter.

"Which will of course leave you incredibly grateful and extremely turned on, leading to lots of really great sex–"

"Uh huh."

"–and me telling you that of course I saved you. Because I love you." Chloe's heart skipped a beat, watching as he paused and swallowed, hiding his anxiousness, "To which you would obviously respond…?"

A smile tugging at her mouth, she kissed him soundly, pulling back to say, "How much I love you, too."

His smile could have blinded someone. He arched an eyebrow at her. "Anything else you were concerned about?"

She smirked, shaking her head slowly, eyes on his. "But I do have one condition and one request."

"Oh?" he asked curiously.

"Mmhmm. The request is that I'd like to be able to tell my cousin. Otherwise she's going to be extremely confused when I call her in a couple of minutes because I won't have an explanation for why I slept with you instead of breaking up with you. I'll let you think about that one."

He nodded. "Fair enough. I'll give it some thought."

"Thank you."

"And the condition?" he prompted.

"I get to smack your friend Hal in the back of the head for messing with my mind."

"I will gladly drive you to his hotel."


	21. Chapter 21

–21– [Epilogue]

**oliverq** how'd it go?

**sidekick101** haven't told her yet

**sidekick101** just like I hadn't told her 5 seconds ago

**oliverq** get on that, woman

**oliverq **I need you

**sidekick101** you need a support group. now leave me alone. she's here.

Lois took up her barstool beside Chloe and looked seriously at her cousin. "Did you order drinks?"

Chloe nodded.

"Okay. Explain to me where you were all morning. We were supposed to wallow in pathetic girliness. Why don't you look like you're wallowing?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Oh…you didn't. Chloe! YOU DON'T SLEEP WITH THE GUY YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BREAK UP WITH!"

Bobby, who had just arrived with Chloe and Lois's drinks in both hands, raised an eyebrow. "O…_kay_. I'm just going to leave and come back later."

Chloe buried her face in her hands. "Lois. What did we talk about? No making public announcements about my sex life."

"I don't care! What were you thinking? Last night you said you absolutely had to end it!"

"Is it safe?" Bobby called from the other end of the bar, after sliding someone a Tom Collins.

Chloe waved him over. He grinned as he returned to them and handed them their respective drinks. "Lane, sometimes I wonder why I let you in my bar."

"Because you love my cousin and we're a package set."

"Fair point."

Chloe rolled her eyes and sipped her drink.

"So I take it things worked out with Queen?" he asked, leaning on the counter to chat with them since he had a spare moment, pressing his lips together in an amused expression.

Chloe smirked in answer.

"I don't get it. Last night–"

"Last night I thought we had no future together."

"And today?" Bobby asked curiously.

"Today things are different."

"Yeah," Lois hissed. "Today you've done the sideways macarena with him."

Bobby raised his eyebrows. "The _sideways macarena_?" he echoed. "Lane…you're so weird."

Chloe chuckled. "You're not used to it yet?"

"Would you please explain to me what happened that changed everything?" Lois demanded impatiently. "I just don't get it. I mean, you're not that girl. I've met those girls. You're not going to get in bed with a guy you were about to break up with."

Bobby gave Chloe a look. "She has a point, Sullivan. What changed your mind?"

Chloe smiled demurely and took another sip of her drink before answering. "You guys remember that guy I was texting all the time a while back?"

Lois's eyes widened and Chloe shot her a discreet warning look.

"Tom Hanks?" Bobby asked, using the nickname he had granted Oliver in reference to _You Got Mail_.

Chloe nodded. "Mmhmm."

"What about him?" Lois asked slowly.

"Same guy."

Both of them stared at her.

"Same guy as who?" Lois asked in disbelief.

"I mean my internet guy was Oliver Queen. But you can't tell anyone, okay?" she warned them both.

Lois was sitting in silent shock, putting two and two together and coming up with green leather.

Bobby just laughed. "You're kidding me! Oliver Queen was Tom Hanks?"

Chloe nodded. "Crazy, isn't it?" she asked, smiling inwardly. Bobby would never know just _how_ crazy. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out in front of them.

**oliverq** have you told her now?

Chloe laughed mildly.

**sidekick101 **yep. taking it surprisingly well

"Is that him?" Bobby asked, watching her dancing eyes as she texted her response.

She nodded. "Yep."

"I can't believe you met Oliver Queen on the internet," he shook his head. "That's got to be the weirdest thing ever."

"You're telling me," Chloe said.

"So I don't get it. Why were you going to break up with him and how did you find out?"

"Well, I sort of realized it before he told me, and I thought he was never going to tell me. Honesty is kind of a thing for me," she said by way of explanation.

Bobby shrugged. "Understandable."

"Anyway, he ended up telling me and then…well, as Lois put it, 'sideways macarena.'"

The mention of Lois brought the pair's attention back to the brunette. She was sitting with wide eyes, fingertips pressed to her lips as if to stop herself from saying whatever she was thinking.

Bobby cocked a brow and her silence. "This has never happened before, has it?"

"It hasn't," Chloe sighed. "Do we need to leave, Lo?"

Lo, wide-eyed, nodded.

Bobby looked confused. "Why do I get the feeling she knows something else about this situation?"

Chloe smirked knowingly at him. "Because she does." She pulled out her wallet to pay for the drinks, but Bobby waved her off.

"This time it's on the house. Bring your boyfriend around next time," he winked at her.

Chloe leaned across the bar and kissed him on the cheek. "You're a gem, Bobby."

"Yeah, yeah, get outa here."

"Come on, Lo. We'll go unscramble your brain," she said kindly, guiding Lois–who was still covering her mouth–toward the door.

She pulled out her phone.

**sidekick101** I'll be all yours in 20

**oliverq** score.

* * *

"So you told her," Hal said with a pleased grin, leaning forward to clink his beer bottle with Oliver's.

"Yep," Oliver nodded.

"And?"

"She took it surprisingly well," Oliver grumbled.

"Told ya," Hal mocked.

Oliver sighed and gave in. "All right, all right. I admit it. You were right."

His phone buzzed again and Oliver saw that Chloe was on her way over.

"That her?" Hal asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep," Oliver smirked.

"What's she up to?"

"Hanging out with her cousin."

"Nice. So you two gonna come out and visit me in Coast City?"

"Sounds good," Oliver agreed.

"I love being right."

"Shut up."

At that moment, Chloe walked in, having just stepped off the lift in the other room. She walked up quietly behind Hal, who was obliviously taking a swig of his beer. She swatted the back of his head soundly.

Hal nearly spit his beer back in the bottle. "Ungh! What the–" He raised an eyebrow when Chloe took a seat on the couch beside Oliver. "What was that for?" he asked.

"For messing with my head," she said, eyes twinkling.

"Maybe. But I still helped."

Chloe sighed. "Fine. You helped."

"See?" Hal said to Oliver, leaning back and resting his head on his hands. "I _love_ being right."


End file.
